Cabin Crew News

Compass Airlines flight attendants choose AFA to represent them

2009-11-21T13:50:00.004-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

The flight attendants at Compass Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, recently held a union election vote in which they chose the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) to represent them. AFA had filed a petition for election in September of this year after a strong majority of the over 300 Compass flight attendants signed cards authorizing an election. The union election vote was conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB).

Catriona Bagley, the transitional AFA Compass President, said of the election, "Compass flight attendants look forward to negotiating a contract that will provide security, as well as advance our careers. As AFA-CWA members, we will have a voice at the bargaining table and work alongside management in creating a leading regional airline contract that recognizes our role as safety professionals.”

“Compass flight attendants recognize the benefits of a legally binding contract and the opportunity to advance their career through AFA-CWA representation,” said AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend. “Compass flight attendants joined together to achieve their goal. They spoke in favor of having a voice in their workplace and today management heard their message loud and clear.”

This is the fourth flight attendant group to elect AFA-CWA as their bargaining representative this year.

[Photo Source]

Video: US Airways Flight 1549 flight attendants recall Hudson River ditching

2009-11-04T07:45:00.002-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

Donna Dent and Sheila Dail -- two of the three flight attendants who evacuated US Airways Flight 1549 after it was ditched in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009 -- were interviewed recently by David Learmount, operations and safety editor of Flight International. The occasion was the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators annual awards banquet on October 29, 2009, which took place in England at the Guildhall in the City of London. (The third flight attendant from Flight 1549, Doreen Welsh, was unable to attend the banquet.)

In the interview, the flight attendants recount their impressions of the water landing and the subsequent evacuation of the aircraft. Here is a video clip of that interview, first posted on Mr. Learmount's blog, Operationally Speaking.

New flight attendant uniforms celebrate Hawaiian Airlines' 80th anniversary

2009-11-02T15:50:00.003-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

Flight attendants and customer service agents at Hawaiian Airlines began wearing new uniforms on November 1, 2009. The new uniforms, which will be worn by more than 1,800 employees system-wide, are one facet of the airline's 80th anniversary celebration.

The new uniform, by Hawaii designer Emma Howard, incorporates input from employees. Azure – representing the color of Hawaii's ocean and sky – and gray are the dominant colors in the new uniform pieces, with Hawaiian's traditional purple appearing as an accent color. The uniform is manufactured by Apparel Solutions.

The uniforms were unveiled during a luncheon at the historic Washington Place mansion in downtown Honolulu. In addition to seeing the new uniforms, luncheon attendees also were treated to a fashion show of Hawaiian's flight attendant uniforms since 1943. [Here is a link to a slide show from the event on the Web site of the Honolulu Advertiser.]

According to Hawaiian Airlines, the new uniform's print design was inspired by the Hawaiian word makahiki, which resulted from combining the words for "flight" and "movement." Design elements in the new uniforms feature:

The star grouping Makali‘i, whose ascension in late October and early November (the period of Hawaiian’s founding in 1929) signals the start of makahiki, a time of rejuvenation in the traditional Hawaiian calendar.
A petroglyph of Lono, the Hawaiian god of clouds, the sea, and productivity.
The fish opelu and akule, both of which were traditionally caught during the period of makahiki.
The bird noio, because of its importance to Polynesian voyagers who knew they were approaching land when it was seen.

"We wanted something that was timeless and classic with a print design that would be identifiable as being not only from Hawaii, but uniquely Hawaiian Airlines," said Kim Meyer, a 19-year flight attendant and member of the company’s uniform committee.

"Uniforms are an important expression of a company’s identity, and Hawaiian’s identity is its people. That’s why I am so pleased with our new look – it is a perfect reflection of the modern Hawaiian Airlines employee," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO. "It conveys their confidence and pride in their professionalism, as well as their respect for our history and the Hawaiian culture, with a contemporary sense of classic style.

"As Hawaiian marks its 80th year, we are in many ways welcoming a new era at our company. Being the preeminent carrier of Hawaii with a new fleet of aircraft and exciting opportunities on the horizon, we feel a heightened sense of obligation to represent the best of our island home to the rest of the world. This new look is an outward expression of our belief in the future at Hawaiian," Dunkerley said.

Hawaiian Airlines will mark 80 years of continuous service for Hawaii on November 11, 2009. Hawaiian is the state’s biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service to Hawaii from the state’s primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides more than 160 daily jet flights within the Hawaiian Islands.

[Photo Source]

Iberia cabin crew stage two-day strike

2009-10-26T16:20:00.000-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

Iberia, the national airline of Spain, canceled more than 400 domestic and international flights due to two-day strike by CTA and SITCPLA, the carrier's cabin crew unions. The strike is taking place today and tomorrow, October 26 and 27, 2009.

The cabin crew are asking for higher salaries, claiming they have not had a raise in four years. In a press statement announcing the flight cancellations, Iberia has called the strike "unjustified."

The unions, which represent some 4,300 staff, are planning another two-day strike in November if their demands are not met.

Air New Zealand crews propose a new kind of 'joint venture' with Southwest Airlines

2009-10-19T16:00:00.001-10:00

You remember the Air New Zealand Bare Essentials of Safety video, right? (In case you have forgotten, that was the memorable pre-flight safety briefing video in which Air New Zealand staff wear only body paint while demonstrating the safety features of the aircraft.)

Well, the same crew now have come up with a new idea. They are inviting Southwest Airlines to participate in a new kind of joint venture. They've invited Southwest crew members to New Zealand to collaborate on producing a new musical safety briefing. The intention is to join Southwest's musical talent with Air New Zealand's body paint. (Apparently they've heard all about David Holmes, Southwest's rapping flight attendant!)

Here's the video pitch from Air New Zealand:

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

P.S. to Air New Zealand: Your message greeting says 'To Herb Kelleher and Southwest' but, um, just so you know -- the current Southwest CEO's name is Gary Kelly.

USA3000 Airlines flight attendants now have union representation

2009-10-08T07:55:00.000-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

In August of this year, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) petitioned the National Mediation Board (NMB) to hold a union representation election on behalf of flight attendants at USA3000 Airlines. Balloting in that election began in mid-September. The votes, which were counted on October 6, 2009, showed that 96 of the 114 eligible USA3000 flight attendants voted for AFA representation.

In a statement to the press announcing the union election results, AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend said, “We welcome USA3000 flight attendants to the world’s largest flight attendant union and look forward to working side-by-side in negotiating a legally binding contract that will provide the security they need to advance their profession.”

AFA notes that this is the third election victory for AFA this year, and that USA3000 is the second charter carrier to elect AFA-CWA as their bargaining representative in 2009.

British Airways cabin crew cuts and pay freeze spark union ire

2009-10-06T16:05:00.001-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

Back in June of this year, British Airways announced to its cabin crew that it was "looking for the equivalent of 2,000 voluntary redundancies and if these cuts cannot be achieved, the losses could become compulsory." Today the airline announced that 1,000 cabin crew had volunteered for redundancy; another 3,000 would become part-time workers part-time working, resulting in a work force reduction equivalent to the loss of 1,700 jobs. In addition, the airline said it would initiate a two-year freeze on base pay for cabin crew.

Negotiations between the financially strapped airline's management and cabin crew union already had been underway since spring, but the two sides failed to reach a mutually agreeable money-saving solution. Now the cabin crew union officials have called for an emergency meeting, hinting that a strike ballot may be a possibility.

From a BBC News article:

Unite [union] claims that BA is now holding a gun to the heads of its cabin crew because it has decided to impose a package of cuts, even while the union says it was trying to seek a negotiated settlement.

A meeting of union convenors is planned, which could be held on Wednesday.

It will consider a range of responses, but the union says BA's behaviour has brought the prospect of a strike closer.

The airline has claimed that the unions had already offered a pay cut during the negotiations, and thousand of its cabin crew have also said they are prepared to work part time or take voluntary redundancy.

It has also announced it would press ahead with plans to recruit new staff on different terms and conditions to current employees.

The announced redundancies and conversions to part-time status are due to take effect from the end of November. At that time, British Airways flights also will begin flying with one less cabin crew member on board.

Earlier this year, British Airways asked its 40,000-plus employees to volunteer for unpaid leave or to work without pay for periods of one week to one month. Willie Walsh, the CEO of British Airways, volunteered to work unpaid for the month of July in order to set an example. At that time, a Unite official said, "Willie Walsh can afford to work a month for free. Our members can't."

USA3000 Airlines flight attendants begin union vote

2009-09-15T15:25:00.002-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

Today flight attendants at USA3000 Airlines began voting in a union representation election. The vote will determine whether Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) will become their collective bargaining representative. Votes will be counted on October 6.

"USA3000 flight attendants want a strong voice at the table and the security that comes with a legally binding contract, which can be achieved through AFA-CWA representation," said Aimee Herman, USA3000 flight attendant and AFA-CWA activist. "USA3000 flight attendants are determined to have an active role in advancing our careers, as well as the flight attendant profession as a whole, through collective bargaining rights."

In August, AFA filed a petition with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to hold an election for union representation on behalf of over 100 flight attendants at USA3000 Airlines.

Video tribute to the 25 flight attendants whose lives were taken on 9/11

2009-09-11T09:30:00.000-10:00

This video is dedicated to memory of the 25 flight attendants who perished on September 11, 2001 on American Airlines Flights 11 and 77, and United Airlines Flights 175 and 93. We must never forget them.

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Hat tip to YouTube user jdenn4 for producing this video.

For 472 American Airlines flight attendants, involuntary furloughs and leaves

2009-09-02T11:30:00.005-10:00

by B .N. Sullivan

American Airlines announced details of its current round of flight attendant furloughs yesterday. Although the airline initially sent furlough warning notices to 1,200 flight attendants, the flight attendants' union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), worked with the company to reduce that number by 728. Following the initiation of a voluntary leave program and other furlough mitigation strategies, a total of 472 American Airlines flight attendants now will be laid off involuntarily.

For this round, American's flight attendant work force reduction will include 228 cabin crew placed on involuntary furlough for an indefinite period. Another 244 will be placed on involuntary leave during October and November of this year, but will be called back to their bases on December 2, 2009.

Here is APFA's president, Laura Glading, explaining the current round of American Airlines flight attendant furloughs in more detail:

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Is Thomson Airways' new in-flight safety video the next to go viral?

2009-08-27T08:30:00.003-10:00

Airlines are seeking novel ways to get passengers to pay attention to safety briefings. One recent example was Southwest Airlines' Rapping Flight Attendant, David Holmes, presenting a uniquely snappy rendition of the briefing items. Next, we had Air New Zealand crew members briefing passengers while wearing only body paint.

Next up: The UK's Thomson Airways has precocious children reciting the briefing and expertly demonstrating the aircraft's safety equipment. Will this be the next airline passenger safety briefing video to go viral? (Hey, whatever works to capture passengers' attention is good!)

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

P.S. Many thanks to the reader who sent me the link to this video.

New uniforms for Air Tahiti Nui cabin crew

2009-08-20T15:50:00.003-10:00

Flight attendants at Air Tahiti Nui donned new uniforms recently. The updated outfits, created by Balenciaga Uniforms, were commissioned to celebrate the airline's 10th anniversary.

The new uniform pieces for women cabin crew include several dresses, as well as jackets, pants and skirts. The men have new jackets and trousers, as well as several choices of shirts.

While some of the uniform items have a crisp, tailored look, other pieces feature fabric printed with Tahitian flowers, for a more casual appearance. Colors selected for the uniform pieces represent the colors of the ocean, the island lagoons, and the flowers of Tahiti.

Air Tahiti Nui's pilots, agents, and ground crews also have new uniforms. Here is a link to the Air Tahiti Nui Photo Gallery where you can see more pictures of the crew attire.

Air Tahiti Nui is headquartered in Papeete and operates from Faa’a International Airport on the island of Tahiti. The carrier operates a fleet of Airbus A340-300 aircraft between Papeete and international destinations, including Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, Auckland, and Sydney.

[Photo source]

AFA files for flight attendant union election at USA3000 Airlines

2009-08-13T16:44:00.001-10:00

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) recently filed a petition with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to hold an election for union representation on behalf of USA3000 Airlines flight attendants. If a majority of the airline's 100-plus flight attendants vote to support the union, they will be represented by AFA-CWA.

Once the NMB, the federal agency that oversees union representation elections in the airline industry, verifies that enough signed union representation cards have been collected, a secret ballot election will be held. Union officials say that they have collected the required percentage of signature cards from the USA3000 Airlines flight attendant work group.

“This is exactly the right move by these employees at exactly the right time,” said AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend. “USA3000 flight attendants are working together to gain a strong voice when they need it the most. On behalf of our 50,000 thousand members, AFA-CWA looks forward to welcoming our colleagues at USA3000 and to working together to advance our profession.”

United Airlines and flight attendants' union file for mediation of contract talks

2009-08-07T15:40:00.003-10:00

UAL Corp., the parent company of United Airlines, and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), the union representing United's flight attendants, have jointly petitioned the National Mediation Board (NMB) requesting the assistance of a federal mediator for their contract negotiations. The petition was filed today.

The current contract between UAL and the United Airlines flight attendants becomes amendable in January of 2010. In a message to the union's membership, Greg Davidowitch, President AFA's United unit, explained that the joint filing is required as part of an agreement "to begin negotiations nine months early and continue to progress in support of reaching a new agreement as soon as possible."

AFA seeks union representation election for 20,000 Delta Air Lines flight attendants

2009-07-27T13:25:00.001-10:00

Today the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) moved to officially ask the National Mediation Board (NMB) to conduct a representation election for flight attendants at Delta Air Lines. As a first step in the process, the AFA requested that the NMB declare that the Delta/Northwest merger has created a single transportation system. Northwest Airlines flight attendants are currently represented by AFA, while Delta flight attendants have never been represented by a union.

In accordance with procedures, the NMB must declare that the merged airlines are now operating as a single carrier, after which an election date will be set to determine if AFA will be the flight attendants' exclusive bargaining agent. According to AFA, the election will be among the largest ever conducted by the NMB, since the combined group constitutes the largest group of flight attendants at any U.S. airline.

"Flight attendants at Delta and Northwest are determined to secure their futures and advance their profession. With AFA-CWA representation, these flight attendants will work alongside management in negotiating what is best for their careers. This election represents a tremendous opportunity for over 20,000 flight attendants," said Patricia Friend, the union's International President.

United Airlines grants voluntary furloughs to 1,926 flight attendants

2009-07-20T17:10:00.004-10:00

United Airlines flight attendants learned today that 1,926 Voluntary Furloughs have been awarded in the current round. The furloughs range in length from 10 months to 30 months. Last month the airline announced a need to have 2,150 flight attendants on furlough by the end of the summer. Apparently the current round of Voluntary Furlough bidding fell short by 224.

A message posted to the web site of the United MEC of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), the union that represents United's cabin crew, indicates that bidding for the Partnership Flying Program, a job-sharing scheme, will close on July 23, 2009. The union leadership expressed hope that job sharing will reduce the number of involuntary furloughs needed to meet the airline's quota, but the tone of the message seemed to hint that some involuntary furloughs will likely be imposed.

Partnership Flying awards will be announced by Thursday evening, July 23, 2009. Once that is accomplished, any involuntary furloughs deemed necessary by United Airlines will follow. Should involuntary furloughs be imposed, the will begin on August 31, 2009.

UPDATE July 24, 2009: Today the AFA's United MEC announced that no involuntary furloughs will be necessary at this time.

Bloopers from Air New Zealand's 'Bare Essentials of Safety' video

2009-07-06T17:20:00.004-10:00

And now we have the rest of the story:

Here are some of the bloopers that didn't make the cut for Air New Zealand's new 'Bare Essentials of Safety' video, where five ANZ staff perform a safety briefing wearing nothing but body paint.

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Passengers surely will pay attention to this new Air New Zealand safety demo

2009-06-29T19:00:00.001-10:00

Air New Zealand has found a unique way to get passengers to pay attention to pre-flight safety briefings. In this new video, aptly called the Bare Essentials of Safety, Air New Zealand staff wear only body paint while demonstrating the safety features of the airline's Boeing 737 aircraft.

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Poppy the Starling, rescued and raised by a flight attendant, now stars on YouTube

2009-06-23T14:40:00.005-10:00

About five years ago, a baby starling fell from its nest atop a jetbridge at DFW airport. A flight attendant, Lisa, found the little creature, rescued him, and -- after keeping him with her on her three day trip -- took him home to raise.

The little bird, called Poppy, grew up to be a very tame, very talented little guy. Here is Poppy's story -- and just wait until you get to the part about his musical abilities. This bird's repertoire ranges from Mozart to -- wait for it -- whistling Dixie! (Yes, really!)

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

P.S. Poppy has his own website, poppythebird.com, and Facebook page. Poppy can Tweet as well as sing, of course, so you also can find Poppy on Twitter.

Lisa, the flight attendant who raised him, wrote and illustrated a children's picture book about Poppy. The book has not yet been published, but you can page through it on Poppy's website.

The Details: New round of furloughs for United Airlines flight attendants

2009-06-22T10:40:00.006-10:00

A new round of furloughs was announced today for United Airlines flight attendants. The airline notified the flight attendants' union, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), that it needs to have a total of 2,150 Flight Attendants on furlough status by the end of the summer.

The airline cited "current staffing levels, a lower than projected attrition rate, the continued retirement of the 737 fleet as planned, along with reconfiguration of the TED and IPTE aircraft" as reasons for a further reduction of its flight attendant work force.

According to the terms of AFA's current contract with United Airlines, management must first offer voluntary furloughs to offset and potentially eliminate any involuntary furloughs. If there are insufficient volunteers for furlough, flight attendants may bid on Partnership Flying prior to the company imposing an involuntary furlough.

The new voluntary furloughs offered by United will begin on August 31, 2009 for periods of 10 to 30 months. Flight attendants who accept voluntary furlough will accrue seniority, maintain the same medical and on-line travel benefits as active employees and be returned to the domicile from which they began the furlough, according to AFA.

United flight attendants currently on voluntary furlough will be recalled, and must rebid for a new voluntary furlough. The new voluntary furlough bidding begins tomorrow, June 23, 2009 and closes on the morning of July 17, 2009. Should an insufficient number bid for the voluntary furloughs, the most junior of United's flight attendants may be subject to involuntary furlough.

United Airlines already cut its flight attendant work force by 1,550 in late 2008 through a combination of voluntary furloughs and an Early Out program offered to senior crew members. Several months later, the airline notified the union to expect 250 more furloughs in January of 2009, but it turned out that no furloughs were necessary at that point.

British Airways looks to cut 2,000 cabin crew jobs

2009-06-08T16:40:00.000-10:00

British Airways (BA) is seeking to cut its cabin crew workforce by 2,000 as a cost-cutting measure. The airline is said to be in dire financial straits, having recently reported its largest ever operating loss: £401 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009.

According to The Times, BA told its 14,000 cabin crew last week that it was "looking for the equivalent of 2,000 voluntary redundancies and if these cuts cannot be achieved, the losses could become compulsory." Unite, the cabin crew union is expected to reject the proposal.

The Times article says:

BA has put 32 money-saving proposals to its cabin crew, including cutting annual leave from 36 days to 34. It also wants a two-year pay freeze and a big reduction in the allowances paid to crew who fly longhaul.

There is also speculation that BA may seek to close its final salary pension scheme as its deficit grows. The deficit is thought to have nearly doubled to £3 billion, which is more than the market capitalisation of the airline.

The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the same issue, says that BA is attempting to permanently restructure working practices, including eliminating restrictive practices, to improve productivity and reduce its cost base. The cabin crew union is opposed to permanent changes to pay and work rules.

Unite is currently in negotiations with BA management. The airline has set June 30 as the date by which new terms must be settled. There are fears that if the two sides do not reach an agreement by then, Unite will call a strike.

EasyJet employee receives award for cabin crew uniform re-design

2009-06-03T17:30:00.006-10:00

The easyJet employee who was responsible for overhauling the cabin crew uniforms introduced at the airline in 2007 has won an award for her efforts. Tina Milton, who is head of cabin services at easyJet, won the award in the 'corporatewear' section at the Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show in Birmingham, UK.

Prior to 2007, easyJet cabin crew wore black pants and orange polo shirt outfits. Currently, crew members can select from among a number of different pieces such as orange or white shirts, jackets or waistcoats, and mix and match the pieces to suit their own style and comfort needs. Ms. Milton is credited with planning, designing and distributing the new uniform for 3,500 easyJet cabin crew at 17 bases across six countries in 2007.

Designer Jeff Banks presented Tina Milton with her award at what has been described as 'a glittering ceremony' at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham.

For more photos of the new easyJet uniforms, visit the easyJet Photo Gallery on the company's website.

[Photo Source]

Southwest Airlines flight attendants ratify four-year contract

2009-05-19T11:20:00.000-10:00

Southwest Airlines flight attendants have ratified the tentative contract agreement that was reached in March of this year. The new contract covers a four year period, through May 31, 2012.

Thom McDaniel, president of Local 556 of the Transport Workers Union, which represents Southwest's flight attendants, announced on the union's website that 5,693 of the 9,770 eligible flight attendants voted. Of those, 5,308 (89.06%) voted in favor of the contract, while only 652 (10.94%) voted no.

Here is part of Thom McDaniel's message to the TWU Local 556 membership about the contract:

Over the next few months as we enjoy the improvements in our new Agreement and yes, spend those retro checks, it is important to remember that we would have never made it to this point so quickly without an informed and involved Membership. Of course many of us remember the 2004 Contract Campaign, and many others have heard us wax nostalgic about that valiant effort that brought us a truly industry-leading Contract in the face of insurmountable odds.

Remember that although this campaign was not as long or as contentious, it is historic in its own right. During this round of bargaining, we were in the middle of an economic downturn in our country and industry that I hope we never repeat. During this round of bargaining, contractually, we were at the top of the industry in every area. During this round of bargaining, many of our Members had never experienced multiple pay scales that left our group divided and okay, a little angry.

A few things, however, have not changed since the last round of bargaining. We are still the best and most productive Flight Attendants in the industry. We still contribute to the ongoing success of Southwest Airlines and we still deserve fair wages, work rules, and retirement. Most importantly, we still know how to stand united for a fair Contract and I hope that will never change.

This Contract like all Contracts is not perfect. We did not get everything we wanted; however, we were able to make significant gains in many areas. During our informational meetings, we were sometimes asked why we did not fight for certain things. I can promise you, we did. The list of things we tried to get for our Members included a few items we really hated to withdraw. At the end of the process and considering our industry leading status and the daunting economic challenges, we had to prioritize what was most important and of course our Negotiating Team stood strong and prevailed against any economic concessions or minimum flying requirement. That being said, you can be sure that our Union will continue to work with Southwest Airlines to improve our quality of life even outside of negotiations.

The rest of McDaniel's message is posted on the TWU Local 556 website.

Video: Southwest Airlines emergency evacuation on Houston runway

2009-05-13T14:20:00.004-10:00

Yesterday a Southwest Airlines aircraft was evacuated on the runway at Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) after a a tire on the right main landing gear caught fire on landing. The Boeing 737 aircraft, operating as Southwest Flight 519, was arriving at Houston from New Orleans at the time of the incident.

Below is a video of the landing roll-out and evacuation. What I want to know is, who is the knucklehead that sends his briefcase down the slide before him at about 0:55 into the video? Note that the briefcase opens, papers spill out, and then the guy tries to retrieve the papers and stuff them back into the briefcase at the foot of the slide!

Someone did NOT follow the flight attendants' instructions. All together now: "Dude, you're doin' it WRONG!!"

Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the five crew members and 47 passengers on board. The fire was extinguished on the runway.

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

A longer version of the video can be viewed here.

Zeal 320 flight attendants strike for pay parity with Air New Zealand cabin crew

2009-05-07T13:30:00.004-10:00

The flight attendants of Zeal 320 Ltd., a subsidiary of Air New Zealand, are staging a four-day strike because they are paid "tens of thousands of dollars a year less" than other cabin crew performing the identical duties. Zeal cabin crew want pay parity with flight attendants working directly for Air New Zealand.

The strike by Zeal's 240 flight attendants and will affect Trans-Tasman and Pacific flights serviced by Air New Zealand's Airbus A320 fleet.

The flight attendants' union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), are holding demonstrations in several cities around New Zealand, and also took out full-page advertisements in New Zealand's largest newspapers to explain to the public what they see as an injustice. The strike was called after months of negotiations between the airline and the flight attendants' union failed to resolve the pay dispute.

"The decision to strike was not taken lightly by our members but they have been negotiating for seven months and the company is still offering them terms and conditions that are tens of thousands of dollars less than crew employed directly by Air New Zealand," said EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

"The only people who are employed by Zeal 320 are these flight attendants because the company exists solely to exclude them from the terms and conditions other crew enjoy. Even their managers are directly employed by Air New Zealand," Little explained.

"It's an unethical use of corporate legal structures to deprive these workers of decent conditions and the flight crew are quite rightly taking this action in an attempt to level the playing field."

Air New Zealand has countered these claims, saying that Zeal crew receive pay rates starting at more than $40,000, that the union has refused to negotiate and that they are claiming parity with international crew.

The EPMU says that the parent company's claims that Zeal's flight attendants are seeking pay parity with international crews "is a blatant lie."

EPMU secretary Little said, "This whole line of argument from Air New Zealand is an obvious attempt to divert from the real issue, which is that these workers are paid thousands less despite doing the same work, wearing the same uniforms and flying to the same destinations as crew employed directly by Air New Zealand."

Zeal flight attendant Stephanie Jeeves added, "We've done the same job as other Air New Zealand crew for years and been paid thousands of dollars less than domestic, let alone international, and to now have the company misrepresenting our pay rates is a slap in the face.

"If Air New Zealand want to offer us the domestic deal we'll take it, I'd like to see them put their money where their mouth is."

[Photo Source]