Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Victory for Organized Labor
Rule change favors unions at airlines, railroads
By SAM HANANEL (AP) – 6 days ago
WASHINGTON — In a major victory for organized labor, unions will have an easier time signing up airline and railroad workers after the Obama administration Monday changed a 76-year-old rule on union elections.
The change is the most significant so far in a string of White House moves designed to boost unions, which are struggling to reverse years of decline in membership.
The new rule, announced by the three-member National Mediation Board, would recognize a union if a simple majority of workers who cast ballots approve organizing. The previous rule required a majority of the entire work force to favor unionizing. That meant workers choosing not to vote at all were effectively counted as "no" votes.
Airlines that fought the change say it will lead to more labor disputes that could disrupt commerce and increase delays in an industry already reeling from recession, higher fuel costs and stepped-up security measures.
The most immediate impact of the change would be at Delta Air Lines Inc., where unions are trying to organize about 20,000 flight attendants. Unions are also expected to target workers at smaller carriers, including Allegiant Air, JetBlue Airways, Republic Airways and SkyWest.
"We applaud the NMB for taking this historic and courageous step to bring democracy to union elections," said Patricia Friend, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
But the Air Transport Association, which represents most major airlines, is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the new rule.
"It is quite clear to us that the NMB was determined to proceed despite the proposed rule's substantive and procedural flaws, leaving us no choice but to seek judicial review," the industry group said in a statement.
The rule will take effect 30 days after publication Tuesday in the Federal Register. The flight attendants' union said it would seek a representation election at Delta soon afterward.
Proponents of the change say the old rule ran contrary to democratic standards, where the outcome of an election is determined by the majority of those who vote. The change puts union elections at airlines and railroads under the same procedures followed by most other companies, which are overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
"After decades of operating within a system that is rigged against them, rail and aviation workers have at least gained a right that most of us take for granted," said Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department.
The board proposed the rule change in October after a request from the AFL-CIO. That request came soon after President Barack Obama named Linda Puchala — the former head of a flight attendant union — to a seat on the board, shifting the balance of power.
The final rule was approved 2-1, with chairwoman Elizabeth Dougherty issuing a fierce dissent. Dougherty, appointed by President George W. Bush, said the change is "an unprecedented departure for the NMB and represents the most dramatic policy shift in the history of the agency."
Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said Delta would support an industry lawsuit challenging the rule change.
"While disappointed, we are not surprised by the majority members' decision in view of the way this rule change has been handled," Laughlin said.
Airlines and railroads employ more than 500,000 workers, and about two-thirds of those are already in unions. That's much higher than the overall union membership rate of 12 percent.
One exception to the higher rate of union representation is at Delta, where only about 15 percent of workers were union members before the carrier merged with heavily unionized Northwest Airlines two years ago. Unions representing flight attendants and ground workers who worked for Northwest want the new rules to cover elections at the combined carrier.
In a 2008 election, 5,253 Delta flight attendants voted to be represented by the AFA. But the union lost under the old election rules because the roughly 8,000 flight attendants who didn't vote were counted as "no" votes.
The new election rules will also help the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents Northwest ground workers such as baggage handlers and gate agents. Delta says it has roughly 30,000 workers in that group, including roughly 10,000 who came from Northwest.
AP Airlines Writer Joshua Freed in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
On the Net:
National Mediation Board: http://www.nmb.gov/
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By SAM HANANEL (AP) – 6 days ago
WASHINGTON — In a major victory for organized labor, unions will have an easier time signing up airline and railroad workers after the Obama administration Monday changed a 76-year-old rule on union elections.
The change is the most significant so far in a string of White House moves designed to boost unions, which are struggling to reverse years of decline in membership.
The new rule, announced by the three-member National Mediation Board, would recognize a union if a simple majority of workers who cast ballots approve organizing. The previous rule required a majority of the entire work force to favor unionizing. That meant workers choosing not to vote at all were effectively counted as "no" votes.
Airlines that fought the change say it will lead to more labor disputes that could disrupt commerce and increase delays in an industry already reeling from recession, higher fuel costs and stepped-up security measures.
The most immediate impact of the change would be at Delta Air Lines Inc., where unions are trying to organize about 20,000 flight attendants. Unions are also expected to target workers at smaller carriers, including Allegiant Air, JetBlue Airways, Republic Airways and SkyWest.
"We applaud the NMB for taking this historic and courageous step to bring democracy to union elections," said Patricia Friend, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
But the Air Transport Association, which represents most major airlines, is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the new rule.
"It is quite clear to us that the NMB was determined to proceed despite the proposed rule's substantive and procedural flaws, leaving us no choice but to seek judicial review," the industry group said in a statement.
The rule will take effect 30 days after publication Tuesday in the Federal Register. The flight attendants' union said it would seek a representation election at Delta soon afterward.
Proponents of the change say the old rule ran contrary to democratic standards, where the outcome of an election is determined by the majority of those who vote. The change puts union elections at airlines and railroads under the same procedures followed by most other companies, which are overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
"After decades of operating within a system that is rigged against them, rail and aviation workers have at least gained a right that most of us take for granted," said Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department.
The board proposed the rule change in October after a request from the AFL-CIO. That request came soon after President Barack Obama named Linda Puchala — the former head of a flight attendant union — to a seat on the board, shifting the balance of power.
The final rule was approved 2-1, with chairwoman Elizabeth Dougherty issuing a fierce dissent. Dougherty, appointed by President George W. Bush, said the change is "an unprecedented departure for the NMB and represents the most dramatic policy shift in the history of the agency."
Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said Delta would support an industry lawsuit challenging the rule change.
"While disappointed, we are not surprised by the majority members' decision in view of the way this rule change has been handled," Laughlin said.
Airlines and railroads employ more than 500,000 workers, and about two-thirds of those are already in unions. That's much higher than the overall union membership rate of 12 percent.
One exception to the higher rate of union representation is at Delta, where only about 15 percent of workers were union members before the carrier merged with heavily unionized Northwest Airlines two years ago. Unions representing flight attendants and ground workers who worked for Northwest want the new rules to cover elections at the combined carrier.
In a 2008 election, 5,253 Delta flight attendants voted to be represented by the AFA. But the union lost under the old election rules because the roughly 8,000 flight attendants who didn't vote were counted as "no" votes.
The new election rules will also help the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents Northwest ground workers such as baggage handlers and gate agents. Delta says it has roughly 30,000 workers in that group, including roughly 10,000 who came from Northwest.
AP Airlines Writer Joshua Freed in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
On the Net:
National Mediation Board: http://www.nmb.gov/
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Skywest Airlines Hiring
With all the major airlines scaling back, the small regional airlines are getting a boost in routes. Many of the major airlines are pulling out most of their flights from certain routes and putting the regional airlines on their routes. Skywest which is a regional airline for United Airlines is hiring. You can go to:
http://www.skywest.com/careers/skywest-airlines-jobs.php
The most recent group hiring is:
All Group Interviews are subject to time and location changes. Please check back periodically for confirmation.
LOCATION TIME / ADDRESS
DENVER, CO Thu. September 3rd - 3:00 PM, Doubletree Hotel 3203 Quebec Street Denver, CO 80207
http://www.skywest.com/careers/skywest-airlines-jobs.php
The most recent group hiring is:
All Group Interviews are subject to time and location changes. Please check back periodically for confirmation.
LOCATION TIME / ADDRESS
DENVER, CO Thu. September 3rd - 3:00 PM, Doubletree Hotel 3203 Quebec Street Denver, CO 80207
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Demographics of the US Flight Attendants
Here is an article sent to me, and it is so true...
he Changing Demography of U.S. Flight Attendants
by Rogelio Saenz and Louwanda Evans
June 2009
Over the last several decades, many industries have experienced significant structural changes that have affected their employees. The airline industry, for example, has faced major policy and economic forces that have changed the demography of its workers, especially its flight attendants.
Civil rights laws in the mid-1960s made it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, or race. Thus, the airline industry had to abandon its preference for hiring young women as well as its no-marriage and no-pregnancy rules and weight restrictions. In addition, deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970s led to a hiring freeze of flight attendants and an ensuing preferential treatment for hiring workers furloughed by other airlines.1
Finally, the Sept. 11 attacks resulted in significant layoffs of flight attendants. In this environment, many flight attendants with low levels of accrued seniority were often the first to be furloughed.
Flight attendants have become older compared with the overall U.S. workforce over the last several decades. The ongoing economic crisis suggests that the population of flight attendants will age even more in the coming years as many workers are likely to postpone their retirement.2
The Aging of Flight Attendants
The age structure of flight attendants has changed dramatically since 1980. While flight attendants were younger than the overall U.S. workforce in 1980, they are now older (see Figure 1).3 Indeed, between 1980 and 2007, the median age of all U.S. workers increased by six years (from 35 to 41), but the median age of flight attendants rose by 14 years (from 30 to 44).
Figure 1
Median Age of U.S. Flight Attendants and All U.S. Workers, 1980-2007
Source: American Community Survey data.
During this period, there has been a tremendous shift in the age distribution of flight attendants (see Figure 2). While the percentage of flight attendants younger than 35 dropped from 78 percent in 1980 to 21 percent in 2007, the percentage of these workers 45 years of age and older shot up from 6 percent in 1980 to 50 percent in 2007.
Figure 2
Age Distribution of U.S. Flight Attendants, 1980-2007 (%)
Source: American Community Survey data.
More Diversity, More Men, and Lower Real Wages
Other important changes have taken place among flight attendants since 1980. The racial and ethnic composition of flight attendants has become less white (82.6 percent were white in 1980 compared with 70 percent in 2007), and more black (8.5 percent in 1980; 14 percent in 2007) and Latino (4.9 percent in 1980; 9.1 percent in 2007). Still, Latinos are relatively underrepresented in this occupation.
Although flight attendants continue to be predominantly female, males have increased their presence between 1980 (19.3 males per 100 females) and 2007 (26.4 males per 100 females).
There has also been a dramatic shift in the earnings of flight attendants since 1980. After adjusting for inflation, the median hourly wages (in 2007 dollars) dropped by 26 percent between 1980 and 2007. In contrast, the median hourly wages of all U.S. workers rose by 13 percent during this period. Furthermore, while female flight attendants used to have higher wages than male workers (perhaps due to greater levels of seniority), males now have slightly higher wages.
Implications
We find that other segments of the airline industry have not aged as much as flight attendants. For example, the median age of airline pilots increased by six years and that of airline mechanics rose by four years between 1980 and 2007.
The existing economic crisis suggests that the population of flight attendants are likely to become increasingly older in the coming years, as many workers postpone retirement. Because health care needs escalate with age, flight attendants will likely have a significant impact on health care costs to the airline industry.
Rogelio Saenz is professor of sociology at Texas A&M University. Louwanda Evans is a doctoral student in the department of sociology at Texas A&M University. Evans is a former flight attendant. The authors appreciate earlier conversations with Joachim Singelmann on this topic as well as the helpful comments of Karen Manges Douglas on an earlier draft of this report.
he Changing Demography of U.S. Flight Attendants
by Rogelio Saenz and Louwanda Evans
June 2009
Over the last several decades, many industries have experienced significant structural changes that have affected their employees. The airline industry, for example, has faced major policy and economic forces that have changed the demography of its workers, especially its flight attendants.
Civil rights laws in the mid-1960s made it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, or race. Thus, the airline industry had to abandon its preference for hiring young women as well as its no-marriage and no-pregnancy rules and weight restrictions. In addition, deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970s led to a hiring freeze of flight attendants and an ensuing preferential treatment for hiring workers furloughed by other airlines.1
Finally, the Sept. 11 attacks resulted in significant layoffs of flight attendants. In this environment, many flight attendants with low levels of accrued seniority were often the first to be furloughed.
Flight attendants have become older compared with the overall U.S. workforce over the last several decades. The ongoing economic crisis suggests that the population of flight attendants will age even more in the coming years as many workers are likely to postpone their retirement.2
The Aging of Flight Attendants
The age structure of flight attendants has changed dramatically since 1980. While flight attendants were younger than the overall U.S. workforce in 1980, they are now older (see Figure 1).3 Indeed, between 1980 and 2007, the median age of all U.S. workers increased by six years (from 35 to 41), but the median age of flight attendants rose by 14 years (from 30 to 44).
Figure 1
Median Age of U.S. Flight Attendants and All U.S. Workers, 1980-2007
Source: American Community Survey data.
During this period, there has been a tremendous shift in the age distribution of flight attendants (see Figure 2). While the percentage of flight attendants younger than 35 dropped from 78 percent in 1980 to 21 percent in 2007, the percentage of these workers 45 years of age and older shot up from 6 percent in 1980 to 50 percent in 2007.
Figure 2
Age Distribution of U.S. Flight Attendants, 1980-2007 (%)
Source: American Community Survey data.
More Diversity, More Men, and Lower Real Wages
Other important changes have taken place among flight attendants since 1980. The racial and ethnic composition of flight attendants has become less white (82.6 percent were white in 1980 compared with 70 percent in 2007), and more black (8.5 percent in 1980; 14 percent in 2007) and Latino (4.9 percent in 1980; 9.1 percent in 2007). Still, Latinos are relatively underrepresented in this occupation.
Although flight attendants continue to be predominantly female, males have increased their presence between 1980 (19.3 males per 100 females) and 2007 (26.4 males per 100 females).
There has also been a dramatic shift in the earnings of flight attendants since 1980. After adjusting for inflation, the median hourly wages (in 2007 dollars) dropped by 26 percent between 1980 and 2007. In contrast, the median hourly wages of all U.S. workers rose by 13 percent during this period. Furthermore, while female flight attendants used to have higher wages than male workers (perhaps due to greater levels of seniority), males now have slightly higher wages.
Implications
We find that other segments of the airline industry have not aged as much as flight attendants. For example, the median age of airline pilots increased by six years and that of airline mechanics rose by four years between 1980 and 2007.
The existing economic crisis suggests that the population of flight attendants are likely to become increasingly older in the coming years, as many workers postpone retirement. Because health care needs escalate with age, flight attendants will likely have a significant impact on health care costs to the airline industry.
Rogelio Saenz is professor of sociology at Texas A&M University. Louwanda Evans is a doctoral student in the department of sociology at Texas A&M University. Evans is a former flight attendant. The authors appreciate earlier conversations with Joachim Singelmann on this topic as well as the helpful comments of Karen Manges Douglas on an earlier draft of this report.
A typical night
So par for the course to be up at 1:30am pacific standard time but on the East Coast and can't sleep anymore. Who goes to bed at 6pm? I have to get up in 20 minutes for my flight after 4 hours of sleep. Been up since 11:00pm pacific standard time, 2:00am Eastern standard time. And people wonder why flight attendants are always so tired and sometimes cranky.
Time to drink some coffee and fly to San Francisco...
Time to drink some coffee and fly to San Francisco...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Pet Flight Attendants
Here is a perfect flight attendant job! No back talking (well at least not a lot), no complaining, no demands, these passengers won't have their headsets on when you talk to them, they will comply with all the rules, and they won't ask for coffee or tea and not tell you what they want in it!
Here is the info:
We have several positions available:
* In-Flight Pet Attendants
* Ground Based Pet Attendants
Positions are:
Full Time and Part Time
Management and Non-Management
We have positions available in, New York/New Jersey,
Washington DC/Baltimore, Chicago, Denver and in Los Angeles.
Job Responsibities:
Pet Airways Pet Attendants are responsible for the comfort and safety of all our pawsengers, from the time the reservation is made to the time that our pawsengers’ are picked up. Our pawsengers are our number one concern, and our Pet Attendants are expected to go beyond the call of duty to make sure that every pet gets the best care, with lots of love.
Pet Attendants will be stationed at our Pet Lounges, checking in and taking care of our pawsengers on the ground, and on a rotating basis with other Pet Attendants, fly with our pawsengers taking care of them in the air.
Pet Attendants will be in charge of our pawsenger’s welfare, and be prepared to make informed decisions regarding pet comfort and safety while in transit.
Pet Attendants will also work with customers by email and phone to help in our customer service effort making sure all questions are answered and so that pet parents have a real person to talk to about their pets needs.
Qualifications:
* Previous substantial pet handling experience in a professional environment. e.g. Veterinary office staff, Vet technicians, pet boarding, pet grooming, pet day care.
* Prefer certificated but not essential
* Not afraid of flying
* Have a can do, take charge attitude
* Shown increasing responsibility in previous jobs
* Computer skills essential
* Ability to work well with others and especially with all types of pets
* Outgoing personality with a strong sense of responsibility
* No allergies to pets (of course)
* Willing to work nights and off hours
* Maturity in thought and actions
* Must absolutely love pets
Pet Airways is an equal opportunity employer.
Please email all resumes to jobs@petairways.com. No Phone Calls Please.
Here is the info:
We have several positions available:
* In-Flight Pet Attendants
* Ground Based Pet Attendants
Positions are:
Full Time and Part Time
Management and Non-Management
We have positions available in, New York/New Jersey,
Washington DC/Baltimore, Chicago, Denver and in Los Angeles.
Job Responsibities:
Pet Airways Pet Attendants are responsible for the comfort and safety of all our pawsengers, from the time the reservation is made to the time that our pawsengers’ are picked up. Our pawsengers are our number one concern, and our Pet Attendants are expected to go beyond the call of duty to make sure that every pet gets the best care, with lots of love.
Pet Attendants will be stationed at our Pet Lounges, checking in and taking care of our pawsengers on the ground, and on a rotating basis with other Pet Attendants, fly with our pawsengers taking care of them in the air.
Pet Attendants will be in charge of our pawsenger’s welfare, and be prepared to make informed decisions regarding pet comfort and safety while in transit.
Pet Attendants will also work with customers by email and phone to help in our customer service effort making sure all questions are answered and so that pet parents have a real person to talk to about their pets needs.
Qualifications:
* Previous substantial pet handling experience in a professional environment. e.g. Veterinary office staff, Vet technicians, pet boarding, pet grooming, pet day care.
* Prefer certificated but not essential
* Not afraid of flying
* Have a can do, take charge attitude
* Shown increasing responsibility in previous jobs
* Computer skills essential
* Ability to work well with others and especially with all types of pets
* Outgoing personality with a strong sense of responsibility
* No allergies to pets (of course)
* Willing to work nights and off hours
* Maturity in thought and actions
* Must absolutely love pets
Pet Airways is an equal opportunity employer.
Please email all resumes to jobs@petairways.com. No Phone Calls Please.
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