When I joined United in 1969 I had never been a union member. At the time, I was given a choice of joining AFA or not, but it seemed to me that I would be better off joining an organization that represented and protected my interests in dealing with a major corporation. So I signed up.

Throughout my 34-year career, successful contract negotiations resulted in major improvements in wages, working conditions, job protections and benefits. Today many union members tend to focus on wages when it comes to negotiating a new contract, but just as important is the issue of job security. Over the years AFA has succeeded in securing industry-leading job protections for its members, beginning with the Scope Clause which ensures that flight attendant work is done solely by flight attendants on the seniority list. When United insisted on outsourcing our work by hiring foreign nationals in Bangkok and Singapore, AFA succeeded in protecting our job security first by placing a limit on the number of foreign nationals hired and then by negotiating that no flight attendant on the seniority list could be furloughed until all foreign nationals were displaced.

In addition, AFA succeeded in securing transfer rights for all line flight attendants to United’s European, Asian and South American bases (Paris, Taipei, and Santiago have since been closed). On those occasions when UAL announce furloughs, AFA ensured that voluntary furloughs would be offered before a single AFA flight attendant members on the seniority list was involuntarily laid off.

Those job protections provided opportunities for all United flight attendants who wished to make the job a lifetime career, who wanted to enjoy international flying, or who wanted to experience living abroad. Along with the improvements in wages and working conditions, these job security provisions allowed us to maximize income and increase retirement benefits. And the furlough protections enables those who want time off to have it while securing the employment of those who would be adversely impacted by being laid off.

In retirement today, I continue to reap the rewards of AFA’s successes at the bargaining table. I still enjoy retiree health care benefits because during the bankruptcy AFA went back to the bargaining table and hammered out an agreement that protects these retiree benefits. And, AFA represented me in bankruptcy by fighting for and defending all the benefits found within the retirement section of the contract.

I am aware that nearly half of United’s flight attendants have never experienced Section 6 negotiations. I would suggest to all of you that you learn as much as you can about the process. Be as informed as you can on all the issues. Do not engage in conversation with supervisors or other management people about your wants and needs in your next contract. Let your negotiating team speak for you at the bargaining table. If AFA asks you to participate in negotiations support activities such as informational picketing, DO IT, as we did! Show management that you are firm in your resolve to improve your wages and working conditions, that you support your negotiating committee, and that you will do “Whatever It Takes” to succeed.

And succeed you will.

How were industry standards determined? Largely by union negotiated contracts.

By Glenn Kitashima, Retired Los Angeles Flight Attendant

When I first became a Honolulu Steward for United Air Lines, I did not have a sense of the benefits or liabilities of union membership. The political climate was a lot less adversarial between management and labor. In fact, more than a third of America's workforce was unionized. I personally did not become involved in any union activities during this period. I paid my dues via payroll deduction, the union did its job by negotiating steadily improving contracts, and life was good.

In the 80's, the political climate started changing and the pendulum was swinging heavily in favor of management. The corporate raiders started to bloom like mold on cheese. Union busting was heating up. The CEO's were not the father figures of yesteryear. They stick around for 7-10 years, build up their parachutes, then jump ship. The employees are commited to 20-plus years and more. In 1985, United's pilots union, ALPA, decided to fight back and went on strike. AFA knew that the flight attendants would be the next group attacked and supported the pilots and called for all flight attendants to join the strike.

This was the first time in my career that I had to evaluate my union membership. Did union leadership have the right to put me on strike? According to the by-laws, it did (it has since been amended to require membership ratification). So the only decision for me was whether to support my union or not, and the decison was clear.

At that time, Delta's flight attendants received the highest wages in the industry (though their work rules, duty times, and rest provisions were horrible). Delta's flight attendants were non-union. Researching how Delta's flight attendant wages were determined revealed that their compensation was based on industry standard in order to be competitive in attracting and retaining employees. How were industry standards determined? Largely by union-negotiated contracts. At this point it became obvious to me that the stronger my union, the better for me. Union strength depends on the cohesive efforts of its numbers. Management has the policy making powers and unions balance the scale. None of us is naïve enough to believe that corporations are going to take care of us because they want to.

By the way, I also came to the realization that the union isn't "them". The union is all of us. It was then that I decided to help out in whatever way I was able to. Get involved, stay informed, and continue to stand together! 

Copyright © May 2009. All Rights Reserved. AFA-CWA UAL Council 12 Los Angeles.