With the clock ticking, PFAA President Guy Meek got this offer on October 15, yet no response not even a word to his own members!
Guy Meek, President
Professional Flight Attendants Association
8101 34th Avenue South Suite 250
Bloomington, MN 55452
Via Facsimile and US Mail
Dear Guy,
The intentions of AFA-CWA have always been with the best interests of the Northwest flight attendants and that of all flight attendants uppermost in our hearts and minds.
I do not believe you can disagree that I, more than any other union leader, understands what it means to lead flight attendants through the bankruptcy process. AFA has more experience with this than we would have ever wished to endure. But the proposal that Northwest management has put on the table has implications far beyond Northwest Airlines. One thing we have learned during this financial crisis in our industry is that proposals like this spread from carrier to carrier like the most virulent disease mankind has ever experienced. Understandably, we are very worried that Northwest management will succeed in starting this pandemic by creating a non-union flight attendant workforce for all flying outside the forty eight contiguous United States.
My knowledge of this alarming proposal coincided with the decision of the IBT to disaffiliate with the AFL-CIO thus leaving the way clear for the first time, to join our two unions for the benefit of all flight attendants. Those overtures from AFA were not accepted by PFAA, so when another option presented itself we eagerly accepted. We accepted because, quite frankly, we are concerned that your fledgling union has neither the resources nor the access to the needed expertise to fend off this proposal. This should not be taken as a criticism of either PFAA or your leadership. PFAA had the misfortune to be born into the most devastating economic crisis of our industry either of us has ever seen. Had your organization had the luxury of time to develop and stabilize I have no doubt under your leadership PFAA would have been able to successfully meet this challenge. An unfortunate accident of timing has prevented that.
I continue to believe this is the ideal time for Northwest flight attendants to be brought under the protective umbrella of AFA-CWA. The paramount issue today is the defense of, first the Northwest flight attendants' careers and then those of the tens of thousands of other flight attendants in this country.
Therefore, I am today making an offer in defense of our profession and our careers. AFA-CWA, with the full concurrence of the CWA leadership, is willing to make available to PFAA, at no cost and with no strings attached, all of the resources and bankruptcy experience of our legal counsel, both internal and external, as well as that of our collective bargaining staff, research, legislative and communications staff. We are making this offer in the interests of preventing this devastating attack on your members' jobs.
It will remain my hope and belief that through this bankruptcy process we will have forged a strong enough relationship and demonstrated sufficiently the value of our resources and expertise to make further discussions of a merger between our two unions possible. We would have only one expectation and one motivation ﾖ to protect our chosen profession. However, you should know that in the meantime, it is fully our intention to continue to seek representation of the Northwest flight attendants through the NMB election process.
Guy, the threat Northwest flight attendants face is also a threat to every flight attendant in this country. We have all worked too hard for too many years to make the position of flight attendant a recognized and viable career. To allow our profession to be destroyed without putting all of our resources behind an effort to preserve what we have accomplished would be unconscionable and unethical. Please, in the interest of your members and every flight attendant in this country, let us help in this fight.
In hoped for solidarity,
Patricia Friend
Guy Meek, President
Professional Flight Attendants Association
8101 34th Avenue South Suite 250
Bloomington, MN 55452
Via Facsimile and US Mail
Dear Guy,
The intentions of AFA-CWA have always been with the best interests of the Northwest flight attendants and that of all flight attendants uppermost in our hearts and minds.
I do not believe you can disagree that I, more than any other union leader, understands what it means to lead flight attendants through the bankruptcy process. AFA has more experience with this than we would have ever wished to endure. But the proposal that Northwest management has put on the table has implications far beyond Northwest Airlines. One thing we have learned during this financial crisis in our industry is that proposals like this spread from carrier to carrier like the most virulent disease mankind has ever experienced. Understandably, we are very worried that Northwest management will succeed in starting this pandemic by creating a non-union flight attendant workforce for all flying outside the forty eight contiguous United States.
My knowledge of this alarming proposal coincided with the decision of the IBT to disaffiliate with the AFL-CIO thus leaving the way clear for the first time, to join our two unions for the benefit of all flight attendants. Those overtures from AFA were not accepted by PFAA, so when another option presented itself we eagerly accepted. We accepted because, quite frankly, we are concerned that your fledgling union has neither the resources nor the access to the needed expertise to fend off this proposal. This should not be taken as a criticism of either PFAA or your leadership. PFAA had the misfortune to be born into the most devastating economic crisis of our industry either of us has ever seen. Had your organization had the luxury of time to develop and stabilize I have no doubt under your leadership PFAA would have been able to successfully meet this challenge. An unfortunate accident of timing has prevented that.
I continue to believe this is the ideal time for Northwest flight attendants to be brought under the protective umbrella of AFA-CWA. The paramount issue today is the defense of, first the Northwest flight attendants' careers and then those of the tens of thousands of other flight attendants in this country.
Therefore, I am today making an offer in defense of our profession and our careers. AFA-CWA, with the full concurrence of the CWA leadership, is willing to make available to PFAA, at no cost and with no strings attached, all of the resources and bankruptcy experience of our legal counsel, both internal and external, as well as that of our collective bargaining staff, research, legislative and communications staff. We are making this offer in the interests of preventing this devastating attack on your members' jobs.
It will remain my hope and belief that through this bankruptcy process we will have forged a strong enough relationship and demonstrated sufficiently the value of our resources and expertise to make further discussions of a merger between our two unions possible. We would have only one expectation and one motivation ﾖ to protect our chosen profession. However, you should know that in the meantime, it is fully our intention to continue to seek representation of the Northwest flight attendants through the NMB election process.
Guy, the threat Northwest flight attendants face is also a threat to every flight attendant in this country. We have all worked too hard for too many years to make the position of flight attendant a recognized and viable career. To allow our profession to be destroyed without putting all of our resources behind an effort to preserve what we have accomplished would be unconscionable and unethical. Please, in the interest of your members and every flight attendant in this country, let us help in this fight.
In hoped for solidarity,
Patricia Friend
