I spent about 30 minutes talking with United Airline workers at Denver International Airport today.
Here’s their situation, in their own words.
Here’s United Airlines’ Annual Reports (which the company files with the Security and Exchange Commission) from 1996 through 2009. I encourage any/all airline workers to go through these documents. There’s TONS of info in there that’s useful for organizing members and bargaining more strategically. Information on profits (“net income”), debt, properties, assets, number of workers, number of union workers, etc., etc., etc.
What I learned today:
-Workers took two concessionary agreements because of United Airlines’ filing for bankruptcy.
-Workers are working at the rates they had in 1994 (again: as a result of the concessionary agreements)
-The company said the workers would regain their benefits/salaries once the company’s financial situation started to improve. The workers haven’t seen anything thus far but they’ve seen an increase in the pay of the executives of the company. …always charming.
-Some workers lost all (or a lot of) their pensions after the company filed for bankruptcy. Some of the workers I spoke to had been working for United for 10, 20, 30+ years. One flight attendant told me of an 81 year old flight attendant who was basically too broke to retire.
I normally don’t publish photos of people blinking or with their eyes closed but in this situation it just tells you how strong (and cold) the winds were at Denver International Airport. If members of the Association of Flight Attendants would like to add, please do so with the comment section.
if you would like more information on how to research information on United Airlines, please look at the “how to research” blog entries on this blog. I use Safeway as an example to teach people how to research corporations but the basic idea on how to research is the same if you’re looking up info on United.
In solidarity,
Ric Urrutia
Union Staff For Union Democracy 