United Flight Attendants Picket At DIA
Source: DenverChannel.com
Union Threatens To Create 'Chaos' With Strikes
DENVER -- United Airlines flight attendants wanting to inflict "chaos" targeted Denver International Airport with pickets on Thursday and say that next time it could be a strike.
Dressed in green shirts, the flight attendants picketed and gave out leaflets outside the terminal. They are protesting the airline's plans to void their pension, turning it over the federal agency Pension Guaranty Corp. as part of the carrier's plans to get out of bankruptcy.
The union representing 15,000 active United flight attendants targeted select airports around the world for their protests and to warn passengers about what they call "chaos" -- creating havoc for the system. Besides Denver, demonstrations were also held in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Frankfurt, Germany.
"Current United management has held its employees and creditors hostage in Chapter 11 for nearly 1,000 days," said Greg Davidowitch, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO at United. "We're hitting the streets around the globe to demonstrate our resolve. We want our pensions back, and we want this management team out."
As early as Friday, flight attendants could begin limited strikes, the union said. The flight attendants said passengers need to be aware of the strike possibility and the reasons for it.
"We have just decided that we are going to fight this to the bitter end. It's not going to prevent them from getting out," said United flight attendant Jodi Weant.
United's management issued a statement on Thursday saying, "The actions the AFA leadership has threatened are illegal and will not be tolerated."
The airline goes on to say that United will do whatever is necessary to ensure the continued operation of the company.
The flight attendants said the strikes can happen at any moment, at any airport, on any flight and without any advance notice.
