View Full Version : Is there a doctor on board? - United Airlines
newswatcher
12th Apr 2001, 12:08
BBC reports:
"A plane heading for the US was forced to land unexpectedly at Heathrow Airport after all 13 flight attendants reported sick.
The United Airlines plane from Frankfurt to Chicago was diverted to London and landed at 1546BST on Wednesday, after the cabin crew complained of feeling ill.
A spokesman for UA said the flight attendants were immediately rushed to two nearby hospital for medical check-ups, but the cause of their sickness was not yet known.
The spokesman confirmed that the 154 passengers and three flight crew on the Boeing 777 had not been affected and were staying at Heathrow overnight."
This will no doubt add more to the "sick 777" discussion. Strange that none of the pax felt ill.
[This message has been edited by newswatcher (edited 12 April 2001).]
addinfurnightem
12th Apr 2001, 15:28
Could have been food poisoning from a cheap and nasty Piza joint the night before?
Maybe the Tech Crew were elsewhwere, sometimes you only meet at the aircraft because you are following different operating patterns, etc. etc.
Just a thought!!!
The flight attendants at united have approved a CHAOS strike vote.
For those of you that don't know that that means, it means "Create Havoc Around Our System."
The Flight attendants (who voted not to participate in the buy out of United, and so never took the paycut that the pilots and the mechanics took) are miffed that they signed a 10 year contract and thus haven't gotten recent raises that the rest of the employee groups received.
I think you have just seen the first mini strike buy the flight attendants.
I got no sympathy for them, as they are working in the middle of a legal contract, and did not give back during ESOP.
Cheers
Wino
Think they all need to be terminated for cause. Should be plenty of replacements available.
boxmover
12th Apr 2001, 22:02
Thats it 411A
Why waite to find out if they are ill.
No its you thats SICK in the head.
Were they ALL sick at the same time? Well, yes quite likely,... at the thought of minimal increases in salary, do to their rejection of the ESOP. WINO is quite correct. To bad for them.
Jurassic Jet Man
13th Apr 2001, 18:07
"I got no sympathy for them, as they are working in the middle of a legal contract, and did not give back during ESOP"
Wino, I think you are being rather harsh on that point. Pretty much all the trolley dolleys I spoke to as the ESOP was ramping up were pro-ESOP - remember the coalition pin?
If you recall, the severely undemocratic AFA walked at the last minute from the ESOP. Reason? One insecure and ineffective little man by the name of Kevin Lum - their MEC chairman. It was a case of a simple tantrum. No more no less. Lum Bum was unable to effectively negotiate his union's position in the final stages, and his hissy fit blew it for the whole membership.
Not sure their current leadership is much better. Ours (Dubinsky picture is showing up on milk cartons these days) is in disarray these days. Much splintering over a new ESOP attempt. Dubinksy allegedly wants to bet our A & B funds as collateral. Big ouch!
No way.
JJM - apologies for thread drift.
U guys got bigtime problems. I freely admit it.
I don't like ESOP on principal. I think it clouds the issues. We are labor, they are management, and ESOP is simply a ploy to make you forget that. There is a huge difference between owning an airline and controlling an airline, and I think that is what you guys have been learning.
Even with or without ESOP though, the rank and file F/A's approved a 10 year contract. They bet that the salaries would continue to head down hill. Well they lost the bet (as did the Southwest pilots BTW).
I do agree that the F/A's at Untidy have been lead spectacularly badly...
Cheers
Wino
GotTheTshirt
14th Apr 2001, 21:11
Wino, could you translate ESOP please?
PS Thanks for the CHAOS translate !
Cheers
Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Real cash is traded for worthless pieces of paper. Usually u can't spend the paper for 20 years or so. There were lots of "Millionairs" at people's express for about 2 weeks before the stock tanked. The united pilots cant sell their shares till they retire, but in the meantime others are retiring and selling their shares, further diluting the power of the pilots
It is a VERY bad deal, that looks like a great deal.
Cheers
Wino
capt kickback
15th Apr 2001, 05:36
I have no sympathy for them either!!UNITED the worst cabin service of all time my company flies me stateside often & it is always with united in buisness you dont even get a lousy smile from the CAs, I have had better service from PIA/Garuda & thats saying something!! Time to retire the lot of them, most of them are over 50 anyway, complete with bad attitude (hate to see them in an emergency scenario)Over paid & under worked galley rats, most of these people make more than a regional airline Captain in the US/Aus or just about anywhere else.....a disgrace to the indusry!!!!
Uh...yes, rather well said. Would have to agree.