The summer travel season is close on the horizon and there’s turbulence between flight attendants and at least two of the airlines in Denver, including the airport’s largest carrier.
About 70 United Airlines flight attendants staged informational picketing Thursday at Denver International Airport to focus attention on what they say is a lack of progress in contract negotiations after nearly three years. The airport was one of 18 across the country where flight attendants picketed.
“There really is not much movement despite record profits and bonuses to employee executives,” said Chris Bruton, president of the Local United Association of Flight Attendants Council 9.
United is the dominant carrier at DIA, accounting for nearly 50% of the airport’s passengers in February.
The union representing flight attendants at Denver-based Frontier Airlines has notified the company of a major dispute it has with the airline under the federal Railway Labor Act. The union sent Frontier a letter April 3 that said the company has made major operating changes that aren’t part of the current contract.
Under the changes, which have dramatically affected employees, flight attendants are scheduled for more one-day trips rather than multi-day trips, said Chase Ilsley, the local executive council vice president representing Frontier flight attendants in Denver and Dallas.
“It’s happening behind the scenes little by little, but Denver is getting hit the hardest,” Ilsley said.
The Association of Flight Attendants, or AFA, has said the practice means employees will have to work more and longer days to make the same amount of money. Ilsley said many flight attendants commute to the Denver airport, some driving from as far away as Sterling or Canon City.
“It means more expenses, wear and tear on your car, gas,” Ilsley said. “They’ll have to get a crash pad or apartment here in Denver.”
Several flight attendants commute because they can’t afford to live in Denver, Ilsley said.
Employees are also taking a hit on their per diem expenses because they are taxed for one-day trips but not for multi-day trips, the union said.
So far, the union hasn’t received a response from Frontier to its letter about the operational change. Frontier has not been commenting on the AFA’s complaint, airline spokeswoman Jennifer F. de la Cruz said in an email.
Ilsley said the union is set to start contract negotiations with Frontier in May.
The AFA has requested federal mediation in its contract negotiations with United. Bruton said the union has made serious offers while the company has made “non-starter offers.” He said one such proposal would increase the duty day from 15 hours to 18 hours and reduce the amount of rest at home to 10 hours from 12.
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“Since last month we’ve been meeting with the AFA and the federal mediator they requested as we continue to work toward an industry-leading agreement for our flight attendants,” United said in a statement. “Our negotiations are continuing this week and we have additional dates scheduled later this month.”
Bruton said unions are urging Congress to put pressure on the National Mediation Board, which has to give its approval before unions can stage certain types of actions, such as walkout strikes. The mediation board administers the Railway Labor Act, which is intended to resolve labor disputes that could potentially disrupt interstate commerce.
“We’re trying to apply pressure in the legal ways that we can, which is doing these days of action picketing events, any opportunity to show the public that this is affecting them,” Bruton said.
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