Time to get serious ladies and gentlemen.  Yesterday, the Master Executive Council of your union just authorized that a strike ballot be circulated to the United Airlines Flight Attendant Membership.

That means you.  You will receive a ballot that will enable you to vote "to implement any and all responsive actions available under the law, including CHAOS strikes against United Airlines' flight operations, in the event United proceeds with its plan to unilaterally and illegally alter our Contract."

This decision was decided unanimously by your union in a special vote taken yesterday in Chicago by the MEC union leaders.  You will be hearing more about this important decision, such as voting deadlines and specific CHAOS strike actions,  as soon as more information is made available from AFA.

Here is the complete text of yesterday's resolution:

Whereas, United Airlines intends to purchase and operate US Airways without the Association of Flight Attendants granting an exception to the Scope provisions of our Contract, and,

Whereas, the Scope provisions provide job security for Flight Attendants, and, 

Whereas, this AFA United Master Executive Council asserts that the purchase and operation of another airline, without negotiating required exceptions to the Scope (job security) provisions, would result in a unilateral change to our Contract, and, 

Whereas, such a flagrant and willful violation of the Railway Labor Act and the Collective Bargaining Agreement between United Airlines and the United Flight Attendants cannot, and will not be tolerated, 

Therefore Be It Resolved, that by unanimous vote, this Master Executive Council endorses the planning of any and all lawful responses to United Airlines' pursuit of unilateral changes to our collective bargaining Agreement, and,

Be It Finally Resolved, the United Airlines Master Executive Council of the Association of Flight Attendants authorizes that a strike ballot be circulated to the United Airlines Flight Attendant Membership in an expeditious manner so as to implement any and all responsive actions available under the law, including CHAOS strikes against United Airlines' flight operations, in the event United proceeds with its plan to unilaterally and illegally alter our Contract.

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY
March 8, 2001

We will be updating this section and keeping you informed as the events happen.  For now, consider this resolution that was just passed as very serious business indeed.