Union's Charlotte employees vote to remove president
TED REED
Staff Writer
US Airways' Charlotte-based flight attendants voted out their local union president, apparently a sign of the frustration many feel as they face another round of concession demands from the airline.
But Mike Flores, a flight attendant for 22 years, may have as little room to maneuver as predecessor Steve Hearn, a six-year incumbent. In voting that ended Friday, Flores defeated Hearn 328-202.
"I decided to quit complaining and move into a position that I thought would help the flight attendants maintain their quality of life and help the company survive," said Flores, 47, who began flying for USAir in 1982.
Hearn said Friday he wasn't surprised by his loss. "People are angry," he said. "When you're angry, you can't make changes in upper management -- even though we'd like to -- so why not just change the management of the union?"
When he takes office July 1 as president of the Charlotte chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants, Flores will step into the same situation that confronts all of US Airways' union leaders.
The airline, which has already wrangled $1 billion in concessions from employees, says it needs more or it can't survive. Talks with the unions are expected to begin by May.
"We've done everything they wanted," Flores said. "But it's time to tell this company, `This is what our people think.' If the company doesn't acquiesce, we will have to keep negotiating."
Flores said he wants to represent members by bringing their ideas to management. For instance, he said, flight attendants don't like inefficient scheduling practices that often create three-hour waits in airports between flights. The problem might be solved, he said, if flight attendants agreed to fly on more than one type of aircraft -- a change he would be willing to consider.
Flores graduated from the University of Florida in 1980 and spent two years trying to make a living in pro golf before becoming a flight attendant. He is married to a US Airways flight attendant.
Two other candidates split 71 votes in the election, in which about 38 percent of 1,568 eligible voters participated. Results of the vote for Pittsburgh's local president will be announced Monday.
Twelve-year-old Lexi Flores says her dad used to come home from work each day, saying how bad things were. "But now, he's like, `I can think of ways to fix it,' " the sixth-grader said Friday.
TED REED
Staff Writer
US Airways' Charlotte-based flight attendants voted out their local union president, apparently a sign of the frustration many feel as they face another round of concession demands from the airline.
But Mike Flores, a flight attendant for 22 years, may have as little room to maneuver as predecessor Steve Hearn, a six-year incumbent. In voting that ended Friday, Flores defeated Hearn 328-202.
"I decided to quit complaining and move into a position that I thought would help the flight attendants maintain their quality of life and help the company survive," said Flores, 47, who began flying for USAir in 1982.
Hearn said Friday he wasn't surprised by his loss. "People are angry," he said. "When you're angry, you can't make changes in upper management -- even though we'd like to -- so why not just change the management of the union?"
When he takes office July 1 as president of the Charlotte chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants, Flores will step into the same situation that confronts all of US Airways' union leaders.
The airline, which has already wrangled $1 billion in concessions from employees, says it needs more or it can't survive. Talks with the unions are expected to begin by May.
"We've done everything they wanted," Flores said. "But it's time to tell this company, `This is what our people think.' If the company doesn't acquiesce, we will have to keep negotiating."
Flores said he wants to represent members by bringing their ideas to management. For instance, he said, flight attendants don't like inefficient scheduling practices that often create three-hour waits in airports between flights. The problem might be solved, he said, if flight attendants agreed to fly on more than one type of aircraft -- a change he would be willing to consider.
Flores graduated from the University of Florida in 1980 and spent two years trying to make a living in pro golf before becoming a flight attendant. He is married to a US Airways flight attendant.
Two other candidates split 71 votes in the election, in which about 38 percent of 1,568 eligible voters participated. Results of the vote for Pittsburgh's local president will be announced Monday.
Twelve-year-old Lexi Flores says her dad used to come home from work each day, saying how bad things were. "But now, he's like, `I can think of ways to fix it,' " the sixth-grader said Friday.
