American Airlines flight attendants are being threatened with termination and being asked to pay a 48% increase in union dues. Now, a national legal group is stepping in—offering free help to crewmembers caught in the crossfire. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is now reaching out to American Airlines flight attendants, in light of:
- the airline firing crewmembers at the insistence of their union over back dues owed.
Normally, flight attendants have their union dues deducted from their paycheck automatically (they don’t have a choice in this). But when they go on leave, or don’t work enough hours, their pay may not fully cover the dues. They still owe that money to the union, and the union has been going after them to collect.
- a union demand for a 48% dues increase and future automatic increases, without offering much back to workers – who were promised only ‘modernization’, “Increase visibility in the Labor Movement” and “Development of an APFA mobile app.”
The union and its former leaders have sued each other over embezzlement and misuse of funds allegations, and of course those lawsuits tax member dues also.
Meanwhile there are suggestions that the factions are really fighting over whether a rival union comes in and takes over. Indeed, their own recent contract negotiations treated American’s flight attendants as potential cannon fodder for a strike to raise the starting point for that other union’s negotiations over at United.
National Right to Work Legal Defense points out that, while some payments to the union are compulsory, membership is not and that crewmembers are entitled to opt out and not pay for political and non-bargaining spending.
They have represented an Allegiant flight attendant who lost her seniority over union dues and successfully got a flight attendant reinstated by Southwest – and won a $1.1 million award – after she was fired for blasting her union president’s politics in social media.
I’m not sure I’d take on the union unless I prioritized making a point – because it could make actual life on the job much harder. But if I were being threatened with termination, I’d certainly appreciate the offer of pro bono consultation.
When a union wins and goes to the bargaining table for the first time the first 2 things they always ask for is mandatory membership (everyone must join and pay dues) and dues check off (company collects dues and sends it the union)
Those aren’t things important to the company. And probably not the priority for employees. So the union usually gives up something in negotiations so they get their money. Meaning they give something up that the employees want to get their cash.
Union Free Delta FAs don’t have to worry about these problems.
“Right to Work”… ok, so anti-union, ironically, anti-worker. *sigh*
So an AA FA can go on medical leave and be fired for not earning enough to pay the mob bosses. I hope Delta’s FAs are seeing this. The FAs are probably lucky they don’t get kneecapped.
@PHL/SFO, @H2oman — How much is @Tim Dunn paying you fellas? Sheesh!
When leadership fails, members need to organize internally to hold them accountable, or vote them out. The union belongs to the members, not the leaders. The solution is demand better, not abandon the collective power they fought for.
This ‘Right to Work’ group is a farce, only focused on exploiting a temporary leadership crisis to weaken the union, not to help the flight attendants. Without the union, American Airlines can cut wages, increase workloads, and fire people without the contract protections the union secured.
Meanwhile, Delta’s pilots (since 1934) and dispatchers have had a union, and are doing quite well; and, their flight attendants, maintenance technicians, and baggage handlers should absolutely organize, soon. Currently, Delta’s management has full discretion to lay off any of their flight attendants, on a whim, and especially when there’s an economic downturn (which is likely).
@1990 – Calling Right to Work anti-worker is pretty rich when these flight attendants are being hit with a huge dues hike and threats to their jobs for not paying up. That is the real anti worker behavior.
@Mike Hunt — You know better. “Right to work” is a strategic misnomer; it’s an insidious marketing strategy intended to make anti-union legislation sound like a pro-worker ‘freedom’ initiative. It’s been used for laws and by organizations that actually harm workers and help management. It should actually be referred to as “right to work for less” or “right to be a free-rider.”
@1990 – Look at this very article, and what is happening at AA! Workers are being forced to fund a union that just jacked up dues by nearly 50% and threatens their jobs if they don’t pay. The real free riding is a union leadership class living off mandatory dues while offering worse outcomes for the folks they claim to represent, not to mention the paying passengers themselves.
DL is mostly non-union, yet it is rated far higher by its own employees than the heavily unionized legacies like AA and UA. In fact, it just ranked No. 2 on Forbes World’s Best Employers. Delta’s flight attendant salaries are competitive with the other major carriers, and in many cases they are paid at or near the upper end of the peers. So the idea that workers must unionize to be happy at work or fairly compensated clearly does not fit the data.
The Union is total scum. Every singular American employee should take to socials and name that human waste we call Union Leadership out by name. You can’t fire them all. All in mass should simply not pay it. Fight people. The Union has become its own horrendous element.
@Mike Hunt — I’m well-aware that VFTW becomes ‘View from the (Right) Wing’ when it comes to unions; yet, organized labor, collective bargaining, and workers rights are all still worth fighting for.
If members do not like the direction of their union, they can not only demand better leadership, they can and should run for those offices; be the change you want to see in the world; while no leaders are perfect, many do work tirelessly and effectively for their members.
However, the actual ‘free-rider’ problem remains those employees who benefits from the union’s collective bargaining efforts (such as higher wages, better benefits, job security provisions) but chooses not to join the union or pay the associated dues or fees.
As to Delta, its relative success as a company mostly has to do with company culture, and its focus on ‘premium’ experiences for passengers (great, now I sound like Tim.) I’m still a Diamond right now; I do literally prefer DAL, over AAL and UAL, as a passenger. Admittedly, DAL does invest in their people and products, but, when there are issues related to employee healthcare, or operational crises, etc., a union really would better protect and serve those flight attendants.
@BA — By all means, if there’s real impropriety a foot, members can and should demand transparency, accountability, and an election to vote on new leadership.
But, rapidly to end the union, to reject collective bargaining, to ‘de-certify’ as it’s called, is a horrible, self-defeating idea for those workers. Also, it’s not done by ‘social media’; it’s through the NLRB.
Seems more-so like y’all are just right-wing, corporate-shills, wanting to bust unions, because of decades of anti-worker, pro-billionaire propaganda. Lotta astroturfing going on….
I sat with a union negotiator while he basically tried to screw service employees out of thousands. After the meeting I took the employee representative aside and told him what was happening. This was in Charleston, SC (Gullah country). Thankfully they didn’t sign and got a better deal.
F unions. I’ve never seen a more greedy self interested organization in my life. They rake in millions and donate to one party exclusively.
Jeezuz Gary- couldn’t you put some kind of leash on the troll who is literally ruining your website???
@cairns — Ah, yes, South Carolina, a state known for its unions and workers rights… oh, wait, no, not at all.
For real, unions and their members are politically diverse; attempting to vilify them all on partisan grounds is to the detriment of workers.
As to demanding Gary censor views that you personally disagree with, how pathetic. Psh, so much for being in-favor of ‘free speech’ and against ‘cancel-culture.’ Engage or ignore.
@H2oman, you can’t be terminated for dues accrued on an inactive status like medical leaves. You can only be terminated for dues accrued while active, and only after multiple attempts are made by the association to collect.
This is why I am happy my union dues are based on of percentage of income vs a flat rate. if someone goes out on leave, they earn $0 and therefore pay the union a percentage of 0. It helps them out since they aren’t on leave for a vacation but rather for something unexpected like a medical situation or are on military leave. Those on leave need their money for more pressing personal issues and no members gripe about this as we all know we could be in this boat some day. Also by keeping dues percentage based we almost never need to increase dues as they naturally go up as members get pay raises. In fact, we have never raised dues in my time here and have actually cut them twice. I now pay 25% of what I used to pay when I first started.
@1990 – “Right to Work” is called that because if unions have their way, you can’t get a job without joining the union and paying their dues, even when the union does stuff like raise dues 50% (i.e., arbitrary wage cuts) and get you fired for taking sick leave (which is what unions claim they exist to prevent). Not to mention unions actively work to destroy the company and your job.
Then the union takes your dues and donates it to political candidates you likely disagree with (well, not you personally, commie, but the generalized blue collar worker).
The only people I’ve met who are happy being in an union are the incompetent or lazy who know they would be fired in a heartbeat if the union didn’t spend 10s of thousands to allow them to keep sleeping on the job and stealing from their coworkers.
MAYBE..but doubtful, the flight attendants could get together and get a decertification vote. Once the union is gone, then American should come to the table and give them reason to stay non-union. There are two big issues…getting the decertified and the biggest issue is for American to give them reason not to join a new union. I don’t think that American can proactively hold the carrot out before decertification. Considering American doesn’t really care…the flight attendants could leave the airline and go to another better paying airline BUT…they start at the bottom. The whole scenario is bad at best. If Texas is a “right to work” state, that may be some help.
non skilled unions have not helped any workers. they are grift to collect money
@Win Whitmire — Not gonna happen; dream on.
@John Doe — I’m well-aware of that union-bashing of co-opting names; won’t trick me.
@JOJO — You are objectively wrong; but, nice try.
The unions mishandling of funds and embezzlements should not cause flight attendants to have to pay 48% more in Union dues.
@1990 and in your world all the FA’s would come from a union hiring hall. No chance for corruption and favoritism in that program, right? John Doe has identified the issue for you. That’s the problem that “Right to Work” is challenging.
I would all walk!!!!!! Unions used to be good just like department of education. My parents didn’t have to provide supplies for school. What changed?Tired of beauracy. People who think it’s their best interest!!!!!!!!!
1990 – The union leaders should only be workers and work extra hours for their fellow workers. Otherwise, Unions should be forced to be non-profit and leaders only get a wage equal to their highest paid worker. If there are millions or billions in a union coffer, tax them at 95%.
@Sovereign Citizen — Labor unions are already nonprofits. Active workers are in leadership. Workers elect their leaders. (Aren’t ‘sovereign citizens’ against all taxation, anyways?)
@One Trippe — You presume things that aren’t true or don’t matter.
@James — Why (!!!) so (!!!) quiet?