MAA Flight Attendants Drop Suit Against US Airways

[DCAflyer]

This is absolutely astonishing news! On November 20th, the flight attendants' attorney dropped US Airways and America West from the lawsuit brought by the MAA flight attendants earlier this year. The only remaining defendant is AFA.

Even more astonishing is the fact that the so-called Steering Committee, the one hand-selected by the attorney and the head of the pilots' lawsuit, remains silent and continues its practice of doing one thing and one thing only... asking for money. They continue to ask for money in the wake of the attorney dropping the company, the one entity that really did wrong the MAA flight attendants.

How many people will continue to support this knowing that AFA is the only defendant? I guess that remains to be seen. Perhaps that's why they say nothing, hoping to extract even more money from the flight attendant plaintiffs who otherwise would drop out if they knew the truth. It is interesting, yet not surprising given this committee's past practices, that the committee and the attorney hide this information from the plaintiffs. Just like they hid the fact that time and money had to be spent after the attorney and the head of the steering committee named dozens of people as plaintiffs who never hired the attorney. Just like they hide the accounting issues... how many people are paying? How many people aren't paying?

And just where is this memo from the lawyer that the committee has been promising since the case was filed in FEBRUARY!?

If I hadn't gotten out of this farce of a case months ago, I would be asking these questions. Why haven't the plaintiffs been told that they let US Airways off the hook? That's a pretty significant event to be withholding from the attorneys's clients.

They take your money month after month after month and don't give any significant updates and finally, when there is a key event (the most important event since they filed this sham) and there is no notice, not explanation whatsoever. Yet they keep asking you for money and telling those who aren't cought up on their payments that if they can affort to buy a beer, they can afford to pay their attorney. Pay him for what? Letting the one entity that really wronged the MidAtlantic flight attendants off the hook!

Amazing!

 

[Dorf]

If I hadn't gotten out of this farce of a case months ago, I would be asking these questions. Why haven't the plaintiffs been told that they let US Airways off the hook? That's a pretty significant event to be withholding from the attorneys's clients.


Amazing!

If you are out of it, why do you even care if they want to throw their money away!? Not a shot, just a question....why even worry about it?

 

[PowerUpPowerDown]

This is absolutely astonishing news! On November 20th, the flight attendants' attorney dropped US Airways and America West from the lawsuit brought by the MAA flight attendants earlier this year. The only remaining defendant is AFA.

Even more astonishing is the fact that the so-called Steering Committee, the one hand-selected by the attorney and the head of the pilots' lawsuit, remains silent and continues its practice of doing one thing and one thing only... asking for money. They continue to ask for money in the wake of the attorney dropping the company, the one entity that really did wrong the MAA flight attendants.

How many people will continue to support this knowing that AFA is the only defendant? I guess that remains to be seen. Perhaps that's why they say nothing, hoping to extract even more money from the flight attendant plaintiffs who otherwise would drop out if they knew the truth. It is interesting, yet not surprising given this committee's past practices, that the committee and the attorney hide this information from the plaintiffs. Just like they hid the fact that time and money had to be spent after the attorney and the head of the steering committee named dozens of people as plaintiffs who never hired the attorney. Just like they hide the accounting issues... how many people are paying? How many people aren't paying?

And just where is this memo from the lawyer that the committee has been promising since the case was filed in FEBRUARY!?

If I hadn't gotten out of this farce of a case months ago, I would be asking these questions. Why haven't the plaintiffs been told that they let US Airways off the hook? That's a pretty significant event to be withholding from the attorneys's clients.

They take your money month after month after month and don't give any significant updates and finally, when there is a key event (the most important event since they filed this sham) and there is no notice, not explanation whatsoever. Yet they keep asking you for money and telling those who aren't cought up on their payments that if they can affort to buy a beer, they can afford to pay their attorney. Pay him for what? Letting the one entity that really wronged the MidAtlantic flight attendants off the hook!

Amazing!

Actually, this is not true,,,,,,,,,NOT TRUE AT ALL, THE COMPANY HAS NOT BEEN DROPPED FROM THE SUIT AT ALL!!!!

 

[DCAflyer]

If you are out of it, why do you even care if they want to throw their money away!? Not a shot, just a question....why even worry about it?

Because they don't know they may be throwing their money away. They're being told everything is going great, all is positive, and that there is a very strong case. Well, if it's so strong, why was US Airways and America West dropped? And I care because I paid a lot of money before I dropped out, and had I known in the beginning that this was going to turn into a farce, I would never have paid a penny.

The plaintiffs are not being told of significant events, events which change the direction of the law suit, i.e, that US Airways has been dropped from the case, or that their attorney was called into court to explain why numerous people were listed as plaintiffs when the didn't want to be, and then the attorney tried to extract money from the unwitting plaintiffs when they demanded out of the case. These omissions is ones which, given the knowledge, people might chose to not participate further.

Think of it this way. If you were suing two people by yourself, and your attorney dropped one of those two people and didn't tell you, wouldn't you be upset? Wouldn't you want an explanation? Would this event, if known, possibly cause you to reconsider whether you wanted to continue to spend your money and pay your attorneys fees each and every month? And if your attorney failed to tell you that he dropped a defendant, wouldn't you consider that to be a betrayal, or perhaps a breach of his obligation to you.

And if you were suing on your own, you would get an accounting every month of how many hours your attorney spent on the case, what the expenses are, etc. Yet none of the plaintiffs are getting this?

And if you paid a retainer deposit in the beginning of the case, you would know how much of that has been depleted. Yet none of the plaintiffs seem to have been given that information.

The plaintiffs deserve the truth from the committee charged to represent their interests and from the attorney they pay.

Actually, this is not true,,,,,,,,,NOT TRUE AT ALL, THE COMPANY HAS NOT BEEN DROPPED FROM THE SUIT AT ALL!!!!

Really? It's public record. I saw the document that was filed in the court on November 24th.

It reads as follows:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Plaintiffs [name] et al. ("plaintiffs") hereby voluntarily dismiss without prejuduce defendants US Airways, Inc., US Airways Group, Inc., and America West Airlines, Inc. (collectively the "US Airways Defendants") as parties in the above captioned matter. The US Airways Defendants were named as defendants in Counts 2, 3, 5, and 6 in the Complaint. Said dismissal is filed without prejudice inasmuch as the US Airways Defendants have not served an answer to Plaintiffs' Complaint. Each party shall bear its own costs and attorneys' fees in the above-captioned matter.

It is NOT the intention of this document to dismiss the action against defendants Association of Flight Attendants and Pat Friend as President of Association of Flight Attendants, against who this action shall continue in all respects.

 

[cheezlinewages]

This was sent out 4 days after US was dropped from the suit.


From Treasurer MDA Lawsuit:

As of 11/28/06 your status on the MDA Lawsuit is......

INACTIVE

You will remain on Inactive Status until you have caught up or no more than two payments behind. PER HABER - PER CONTRACT YOU SIGNED.
There is a program that has been implemented that is automatically set to active and inactive status. Once your payments have been received and logged in, the new system will automatically update Your account status. This new system makes things quick and easy to update! Once your status becomes active, You will be able to receive memos/lawsuit information to your email.

*But REMEMBER...YOU MUST STAY ACTIVE!!!!!! KEEP UP YOUR PAYMENTS!!!!!!

You should ONLY Contact me if you have any questions. Tracey Clayton
[email protected] 910-224-8019. Please leave msg./or send email.

By the end of Nov. EVERYONE should be @ 640.00 or no less than two payments behind.

EVERYONE'S monthly obligation is 45.00. Remember, once you've made your payments

the system will automatically update your status.

*If you wish not to be represented by Mr. M. Haber, just simply send a letter stating.......
that you wish to be removed from the plaintiff list and you do not want to be represented by Mr. Michael Haber, attorney at law. The new system will automatically remove you instantly!

*We know that these are trying times for EVERYONE !!!! It is for the committee as well.....
We also believe in the case and our attorney, strong enough to keep up our fight!.. and on a volunteering bases, and other personal/financial hurdles we are having - we know what EVERYONE is going through. We are making payments the best we can in-spite of it all -because we have a strong case.! *

-Tracey Clayton MDA Treasurer.

 

[DCAflyer]

This was sent out 4 days after US was dropped from the suit.
From Treasurer MDA Lawsuit:

As of 11/28/06 your status on the MDA Lawsuit is......

INACTIVE

You will remain on Inactive Status until you have caught up or no more than two payments behind. PER HABER - PER CONTRACT YOU SIGNED.
There is a program that has been implemented that is automatically set to active and inactive status. Once your payments have been received and logged in, the new system will automatically update Your account status. This new system makes things quick and easy to update! Once your status becomes active, You will be able to receive memos/lawsuit information to your email.

*But REMEMBER...YOU MUST STAY ACTIVE!!!!!! KEEP UP YOUR PAYMENTS!!!!!!

You should ONLY Contact me if you have any questions. Tracey Clayton
[email protected] 910-224-8019. Please leave msg./or send email.

By the end of Nov. EVERYONE should be @ 640.00 or no less than two payments behind.

EVERYONE'S monthly obligation is 45.00. Remember, once you've made your payments

the system will automatically update your status.

*If you wish not to be represented by Mr. M. Haber, just simply send a letter stating.......
that you wish to be removed from the plaintiff list and you do not want to be represented by Mr. Michael Haber, attorney at law. The new system will automatically remove you instantly!

*We know that these are trying times for EVERYONE !!!! It is for the committee as well.....
We also believe in the case and our attorney, strong enough to keep up our fight!.. and on a volunteering bases, and other personal/financial hurdles we are having - we know what EVERYONE is going through. We are making payments the best we can in-spite of it all -because we have a strong case.! *

-Tracey Clayton MDA Treasurer.

Not surprising at all!

This is the same crap they've been sending out since before the law suit was filed. All fluff, nothing of substance. And the usual revolving door of committee members. Now Tracey Clayton is the MDA Treasurer. Somebody should tell her that MDA is no more! I think she meant Committee Treasurer. The sad thing is she's more articulate than the committee chairperson.

 

[donttouchthebeauty]

Not surprising at all!

This is the same crap they've been sending out since before the law suit was filed. All fluff, nothing of substance. And the usual revolving door of committee members. Now Tracey Clayton is the MDA Treasurer. Somebody should tell her that MDA is no more! I think she meant Committee Treasurer. The sad thing is she's more articulate than the committee chairperson.

I guess we should just see how well L Propst is living - people should have listened when she was complaining how she had no money and then suddenly gets her hand in the money pot ... Maybe people should sue the money grabbers and the fraudulent attorney haber...

 

[whowants2know]

To whom it may concern:

Why are people always trying to start trouble on this forum? Your information is inadequate and hearsay. If you are an active member in this lawsuit you should know the status and validity of this case. You should be careful on what you post on this forum because of the caliber of our attorney's integrity, corporate knowledge and character. He does have every right to take legal action for sabotaging the integrity of our lawsuit. Those of you who are ACTIVE plaintiffs on this lawsuit and have further questions please contact your committee for the REAL answers. The letter posted is from someone who has contributed minimal to the lawsuit and therefore is not getting current information.

 

[DCAflyer]

Your information is inadequate and hearsay.

The information that was posted in based on a document available to the public. It is not hearsay (you really should look that word up in the dictionary!).

If you are an active member in this lawsuit you should know the status and validity of this case.

They should, but they don't because the committee doesn't give any details. They just ask for more money!

You should be careful on what you post on this forum because of the caliber of our attorney's integrity, corporate knowledge and character. He does have every right to take legal action for sabotaging the integrity of our lawsuit.

Oh, that's a rich one. Thanks, I needed a good old belly laugh.

First of all, I'm not sabotaging anything. The committee seems to be doing a pretty good job of that themselves. I merely reported that the attorney dropped the suit against US Airways. That is the truth... the absolute truth. It is based upon a public document that the attorney filed with the court on November 24, 2006, signed by the attorney on November 23, 2006. It is an important development in the case, yet the committee doesn't seem to feel that the plaintiffs need to know this information. It's now been a month since he dropped the one party that everyone wanted to go after... US Airways. I am not second-guessing his decision to do so. I am, however, apalled that the committee did not tell those who fund this lawsuit of a very significant event (probably the single-most significant event to date). And the decision to not tell the plaintiffs falls squarely on the shoulders of the committee, it's head, and the attorney for not making sure that his clients knew what happened and why.

And yet, based on Cheezelinewages post above, the committee continues to ask for money even after US Airways and America West were dismissed, without telling people about said dismissal. Don't you think that some people may reconsider their involvement in this law suit after the only for-profit corporate entity defendants are voluntarilly dismissed? Don't you think they have a right to that information? If you want to talk about integrity, it apparently does not exist within the framework of the committee

Those of you who are ACTIVE plaintiffs on this lawsuit and have further questions please contact your committee for the REAL answers. The letter posted is from someone who has contributed minimal to the lawsuit and therefore is not getting current information.

Honey, these plaintiffs haven't gotten real answers on anything, just fabricated spin. They were not told that the Judge called the attorney into court to explain why he took it upon himself to represent people who had not hired him. I recall that story breaking mid-year when someone, I don't remember who, posted it on this forum. And people were not told by the committee that the US Airways entities have been dismissed. Again, they find out here. The only thing the committee does, it seems, is ask for money. Yet they never tell anyone what is happening with it. How much of the "warchest" has been used up... how many people really are paying every month... how much attorneys fees have been billed to date. If the committee had any organizational structure at all, or any integrity, monthly messages would be going out with that information. In fact, according to the retainer agreement, when there are decisions to be made, plaintiffs are supposed to be "polled" by the committee member... I don't believe that happened when the decision was made to dismiss the US Airways entities, now did it! I haven't heard of anyone being polled. If they get anything from the committee, it's usually a collection-agent-like call. ("If you can afford to buy a beer, you can afford to pay your attorney"... puhleeeez... talk about condescending drivel.) Most people have simply lost interest; this pretty much began happening the second LP interjected herself as the head of the committee, and continued spiraling during the never-ending revolving door of committee members who she couldn't get along with. I suspect a loss of interest moreso now that word is out that the company is off the hook. So don't come on here and spout this integrity crap.

 

[xoxo]

DCAflyer,

I dont know who you receive your info from, but the people who aree involved in the lawsuit have gotten letters from the attorney about the "dropping of Usair from the lawsuit" and he and the committee have contacted everyone on this matter and they all know what is going on have known since the date of it...so maybe you are the one out of the loop. You must not be involved and want to know what is going on. At this point, anyone who invests money in the lawsuit know what is going on, otherwise they would not keep sending in money. I think they have a great shot at winning the suit with AFA. There is alot going on that you dont know. So, just drop it already.

 

[Mike]

Just an outsider looking in. I take it you are not active or not involved with this lawsuit. That being said, you would not be getting briefs on what is going on. <_<

 

[whowants2know]

It's interesting that those who are NOT part of the lawsuit are so dedicated to interfering with the lawsuit and discouraging those who are participating. Whenever a person does anything, one has to ask what that person's motivations are. What is the motivation of the writer of that last post? Could that person, who chooses not to identify himself or herself, be attempting to perform a public service? Not likely. Could that person be seeking to settle a personal score? Probably so. Unfortunately, there are individuals who are far more interested in working to destroy something than to build something.

Our unidentified mystery man or woman likes to use words like "absolutely astonishing." And he or she likes to make baseless allegations -- allegations that conjure up images of nefarious conspirators cloaked in secrecy and meeting in the dark of night -- that suggest secret motives and methodologies.

We are engaged in a lawsuit, not in espionage.

Let me tell you what we will do and, just as importantly, what we won't do.

What we will do: We will remain accountable to the plaintiffs.
What we won't do: We won't be accountable to the and finger-pointers.

What we will do: Answer questions from the plaintiffs.
What we won't do: Provide accounting and financial information to outsiders.

What we will do: Prosecute the lawsuit to the best of our abilities.
What we won't do: Engage in hand-wringing, worrying, accusation, and nervousness.

What we will do: Be strong.
What we won't do: Be wimps.

What we will do: Announce our intentions as to important issues at the appropriate time.
What we won't do: Go off halfcocked, like our mysterious letter-writer does.

There are those who resent the possibility that we will be successful. They resent that because, strangely, they want to be the ones who lead us to the Promised Land and simply can't live with the fact that we may possibly get there without their expertise and brilliance and insight.

I believe, having worked as a flight attendant for seven years, that flight attendants are, by and large, intelligent and dedicated people. That does not mean, however, that your average flight attendant can, without information, without insight, without an understanding of complex legal issues, draw accurate and correct conclusions about each step in a lawsuit, especially when they are not involved on a day-to-day basis (and, even, involved at all) with the particular matter.

It really is time for all of us to begin to ignore those whose motivations are simply anger and frustration at the boredom of their own lives and who thus believe that they will derive some sort of perverse pleasure from harming the efforts of others.

 

[donttouchthebeauty]

[quote name='whowants2know' date='Dec 21 2006

 

[PITbull]

If you are out of it, why do you even care if they want to throw their money away!? Not a shot, just a question....why even worry about it?

Cause its indecent if one does not speak out against this atrocity in taking advantage of f/as who were on the poverty line trying their best to survive.

The attorney should be turned to the New York Bar Association asap. If you file a complaint against the ya-ho low down, loser lawyer. The NY Bar have attorneys for these purposes to gave after these type of unethical lawyers.

IT won't cost you to file a complaint against this guy.

All the f/as involved should be doing this. The Bar Association will do an investigation of this atorney.

To whom it may concern:

Why are people always trying to start trouble on this forum? Your information is inadequate and hearsay. If you are an active member in this lawsuit you should know the status and validity of this case. You should be careful on what you post on this forum because of the caliber of our attorney's integrity, corporate knowledge and character. He does have every right to take legal action for sabotaging the integrity of our lawsuit. Those of you who are ACTIVE plaintiffs on this lawsuit and have further questions please contact your committee for the REAL answers. The letter posted is from someone who has contributed minimal to the lawsuit and therefore is not getting current information.

Your a fraud! You need sued.

Someone who is part of this case, please file a complaint with the NY Bar Association. Have the Attorneys for the NY Sate Bar Association go after these fruads...who have the audacity to still post thier garbage on this forum and threaten lawsuits for those exposing their shittt!

We are engaged in a lawsuit, not in espionage.

Let me tell you what we will do and, just as importantly, what we won't do.

What we will do: We will remain accountable to the plaintiffs.

You remain accountable to a "meal ticket" from those who are stupid enough to continue paying for frivilous, unfounded allegations.

Folks, get a life and move the hell on! Better yet, go see another independent attorney with the information given to you and see if he thinks your attorney has a case. Bring in the facts.

 

[Mrs. Doubtflier]

I think they have a great shot at winning the suit with AFA. There is alot going on that you dont know. So, just drop it already.

I am curious....the AFA's duty is to represent Flight Attendants in contract matters with or against an airline.

In a contract case the burden of proof that breach of duty has occured is the responsibility of the plaintiff is it not?

So if US has been released from this lawsuit (in other words they did not, by the court's determination fail, to perform their duties as written in the contract and the lawsuit therefore has no merit)what liability does the AFA have at this point?

Exactly what are the Flight Attendants hoping for? That they can prove that they were not represented correctly by the AFA and their dues should be refunded? They are spending more than that each month in payments to......somebody.

Unfortunately, I think alot of folks were seduced by the propaganda that there would be some big, huge punitive damage award to pay off their houses and such. That was never going to happen. This was not that kind of lawsuuit and was never going to be. It was not a wrongful death negligence suit, it was a contract issue and folks, if you thought there was a deep pocket to go after... looks like that is off the table.

The court has apparently tossed most of this out and unless I received a letter directly from the attorney's office (hard copy on letterhead, not through some internet chatter) outlining why the AFA is liable and the attorney's intended action I would not assume that there is a solid cause for action against the AFA.

The attorney may have told your committee head a number of times that this case does not have the proverbial leg to stand on.........but if a client insists that they want to "get the b*%$#%ds, then the lawyer has a duty to pursue the case if the client insists and is willing to pay. Maybe he wishes this go away but your zealous commitee won't let it go, and their reasons for that may not be in your best interests. Please read their communications carefully...they can be very inflammatory (even here and now on this board ) Remember this was contract law...and that is about words on a page not martyrdom.

I have never dealt with any legal action that operated through some secret 007 web site. The law is all about the paper trail, so be careful about anything that isn't formally on a piece of paper and also things that are. And sadly, don't believe that you can't be scammed....it happens to even the most savvy individuals when the right emotional buttons get pushed.

Good Luck to you all and stay safe out there.....