United Airlines Flight Attendant Master
Executive Council President Greg Davidowitch, of the Association of Flight
Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, issued the following statement regarding United’s
decision to defer all pension payments throughout the term of its recently
announced bankruptcy loan. “United’s actions today are devastating for the security of our pensions
and the direction of our airline. Flight attendants have continuously
demonstrated our dedication to and support of this airline through massive
sacrifices and by doing a great job of bringing our passengers back to our
airline. Management’s deferral of pension payments is demoralizing to
employee confidence, marginalizes employees’ future security and further
burdens our members, who have already sacrificed so much.

“Current management should explain to us why flight attendants should
continue to support their reorganization efforts if this is the best
United can offer for a lifetime of service. Without a thoroughly committed
workforce, the prospects for this management team successfully
implementing its reorganization are severely jeopardized.

“While United’s action falls short of an outright termination of the
pension plans, the company’s actions make termination of the pension plans
likely. Flight attendants should not be forced to shoulder the
responsibility of bailing out United after the decision of the Air
Transportation Stabilization Board overseen by the anti-worker White
House.”

More than 46,000 flight attendants, including the 21,000 flight attendants
at United, join together to form AFA, the world’s largest flight attendant
union. AFA is part of the 700,000 member strong Communications Workers of
America, AFL-CIO. Visit us at http://www.unitedafa.org/.
——-