Flight Attendant Gets Fired For Saying She Qualifies For Food Stamps

[ap23ap]

Flight Attendant Gets Fired For Saying She Qualifies For Food Stamps :=
(http://avstop.com/news_august_2010/flight_attendant_gets_fired_for_saying_she_qualifies_for_foo d_stamps.htm)

[flash8]

Surprised no comments on this so far. Absolutely disgraceful. The "Airline" should be ashamed of itself.

What Middle Manager(s) (on rather a lot more than 13K) decided this one? Perhaps they should have a "swift departure"?

[GayGourmet]

Agreed - I guess the company in question must have a corporate policy about talking to the press and bringing their "good" name into disrepute.

GG

[Trig]

Any idea who the airline is?

[renrut]

why don't you read the report?

[Piltdown Man]

So let me make sure I understand this correctly. Compass Airlines, here's their quote:

Compass mission is to provide safe and consistent delivery of airline services that exceed our customers expectations, at a cost that will bring them back!

pay their staff so little that they qualify for food stamps. How you can expect to exceed a customer's expectation by having people on minimum wage is beyond me. It also tells you how much the slime in management values its staff. It is also unreasonable for the US taxpayer to subside the payroll costs of these scumbags.

How about a very "un-American" (and by that I mean US) solution and have the each State declare a legal minimum wage (can anybody smell a bit of Colgan here?). I can hear the fat cats squeal already but don't worry, it will all come out in the wash and nobody will lose their jobs.

PM

[Neptunus Rex]

Deja vu, already.

When I was a QFI at Linton in '75, I was horrified to discover that the (few) married students, living in freezing married quarters at Dishforth, couldn't afford the heating oil, and qualified for a form of Supplementary Benefit.

Disgraceful!

[Starter Crew]

It seems the flight attendant in question is also a member of a number of fringe groups, some of which may be of deep concern to the airline's customers. I noticed that she used photos of what may be her airline on her "blog", thus creating a connection to them - albeit tenuous. (The aviation pic is in fact of a NWA aircraft and not of the specific carrier she worked for).

It may be that she was let go for reasons other than the "food stamp" statement, or that may just have been the last straw.

Anyway, here is the link to her page so you can draw your own conclusions

Kirsten Arianejad's Page - Patriotic Resistance (http://www.resistnet.com/profile/KirstenArianejad?xg_source=activity)

[61 Lafite]

How you can expect to exceed a customer's expectation by having people on minimum wage is beyond me

Just because someone's on minimum wage doesn't necessarily preclude them from providing good service. It's a harsh world and if customers want cheap, then pay is going to be poor or the company goes out of business (bear this in mind, BASSA!).

In addition, whilst I have every sympathy for this attendant's position, it doesn't relieve her of the need to comply with any confidentiality terms she may have regarding her employment: I haven't seen her contract, but it is not unusual for unauthorised statements about an employment arrangement and/or staff contracts to be barred.

It's easy to just take the simplistic view: poorly paid staff member talks about her plight and gets unreasonably treated by her employer.

The reality is that we all live in an environment where there are channels to address concerns, and rules governing what we can and cannot say openly. If I had done what she did, I too would have been sacked. Her pay is irrelevant to that fact.

Lafite

[MrBernoulli]

Starter Crew, your link doesn't seem to work!

[Starter Crew]

Sorry, folks. The page to which I linked earlier appears to have been taken down - possibly by Ms Arianejad herself. It's contents certanly did not help her case one bit.

That doesn't surprise me as it basically read like a shrine to anti-government, anti-gun control, anti-immigrant, anti-Obama, etc, etc...

Of course everyone's entitled to believe what they wish and shouldn't be silenced for their views. However, it's quite possible that she's been let go in part for some other (perhaps intemperate) utterances related to her online rantings.

Here is a link to Google's cached version of the original link:

Kirsten Arianejad's Page - Patriotic Resistance (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OXGyXmBwfX8J:www.resistnet.com/profile/KirstenArianejad%3Fxg_source%3Dactivity+arianejad&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)

[Northbeach]

Starter Crew – cheap shot and I’m calling you on it.

The issue is the woman’s wages, her work environment and her drawing public attention to her unsatisfactory condition. The issue is NOT her politics (at least to me). I am revolted at your attempt to marginalize her.

Virtually any person who has an opinion, that opinion/choice could be offensive to somebody else.

Do you eat meat? If you do; realize that some vegetarians object, some of who would deny you the ability to consume animal protein.

Do you believe in one woman/man one vote and representative government? In North Korea, and other places around the globe, that is dangerous thinking.

Is this your mind set; line them up and ask the acid test question? If I’m on the left then first I need to know if she has had an abortion in her past (or rallied to support the cause), is gay (or supports the lifestyle), hates corporations, is committed to redistribution of wealth gained "illegitimacy" and does not consume animal protein. If I’m on the right then first I need to know is she attends my Mosque, Synagogue, Temple or Church, owns a firearm, supports a nuclear power plant in every neighborhood and unlimited whale hunting on the world’s oceans. If the person fails the acid test question then we throw them under the nearest bus or train track-good riddance. If they pass the acid test, then pull out the stops to help them. What complete bollocks, at least in my world view.

Then you say may be “other issues” in her job performance relating to the termination. Ok, the same could be said about you, me and EVERY other individual caught on the wrong side of an industrial job action. I recognize character assassination propaganda when I see it.

If she were politically aligned with your personal persuasion would you have written your post with the same highlight to her website? If not what does that say about your character? What was your motivation to research her background to the extent you did? Do you have a vested stake in the company, or a personal vendetta against her? Or is it just glee watching someone with whom you apparently disagree lose their job?

One of the things I like best about aviation is that it demonstrates what can be accomplished by people who agree and abide by a common set of rules and work towards accomplishing the same thing. I could care less about the opinions, religion, sexual orientation, dietary preferences and politics of by colleagues in the air traffic control center, flying the jets around me at better than 1,500 kilometer/hour closure rates and 300 +/- meters vertical separation, analyzing the weather & dispatch or doing the dozens of other critical jobs necessary to move a commercial jet from one place to another safely. I support all of their efforts to be compensated well for the tremendous job that they do-regardless of their political philosophy.

It seems to me that you may be GUILTY of being plagued with the same malady that many accuse individuals of the fringe (to use your word): INTOLERANCE of and HATRED for those with whom you disagree. Thanks to your outstanding research and reporting we know she is politically on the right, and the point of that with regard to her wages and working conditions is what?

Northbeach

[Diplome]

Northbeach:

You lost me at your rather extremist response and the use "hatred" towards someone simply providing a more whole view of the individual making a complaint.

I hesitated to comment on this story when first posted due to the fact that I knew that there may be more than the first press release (rather like our rather pathetic Jet Blue attendant).

There may be more to this story than just the "Fired because I told the truth!!" meme. Heaven knows you're speaking to an audience that heard that Duncan Holley was dismissed because he was simply a member of a union.

Dismissing individuals because they wish to inform others of this individual's public beliefs hardly helps her cause. I would suggest offering facts that this dismissal was simply not due to her statement.

Substantive arguements and assertions are rather wonderful.

[girtbar]

Even if there is "more" to this story it does not distract from the main part of this thread that there are Flight Attendants working out there on a full time basis and who are still not making enough money to feed themselves. Like another poster said, why should the government of any country prop up the balance sheet of a company so they can offer cheap fares? Alarms bells should be ringing out!


Its a clear indication that the race to the bottom has almost got there. Airlines offering fares so cheap that the only way to make a profit is barely pay your staff.

If they can't pay their staff what else are they going to scrimp on?

I don't think regulation is the way to go, but there should be some pressure on airlines across the board to set fares that will enable a sustainable level of business with out having to cut the wages of your crew to enable profit.

I'm sure the management of this airline are still earning top dollar!

Flying for the price of a pair of jeans is a great idea, but is it very sustainable?

[TightSlot]

Its a clear indication that the race to the bottom has almost got there

Sadly, there is no bottom - it is always possible to go further down and always will go further down.

Ten years ago, who would have believed that people would want to be CC so much that they would be willing to pay their (potential) employer several thousand € for the privilege? Who would have believed that people would actually choose to work for an airline that provides no food, hot drinks or maybe even water to its' own crew?

Check the Wannabes forum, and weep - there are literally thousands of young people who are desperate to become CC and simply don't care how they do it or who they work for and in most cases, how much they earn. The Wannabe question threads are always about lifestyle, accommodation, uniform, concessions, the stuff that is peripheral - nobody ever asks about what is actually involved in the mechanics of doing the job.

I wish that the world was different, but it isn't, and that means that I am out of step with the parade, not the other way around. Hopefully, I will reach retirement age before the industry implodes, but I wouldn't bet on it: My most likely scenario for 20 years time? Flight Attendants will be abolished altogether and replaced with vending machines and an airline no-liability waiver signed by the passenger at check-in or point-of-sale. The world now believes that aviation tickets are worth 10p, and should be so - that's actually all that matters

[Diplome]

Criminey TightSlot, that was a depressing post.

Probably a lot more truth to it than many wish to admit to, but depressing just the same.

I think I'll pour myself a cocktail.

[Starter Crew]

Northbeach:

Starter Crew – cheap shot and I’m calling you on it.

The issue is the woman’s wages, her work environment and her drawing public attention to her unsatisfactory condition. The issue is NOT her politics (at least to me). I am revolted at your attempt to marginalize her.

I shall resist the the temptation to enter into detailed rebuttal of your opinions of me as I'm sure I understand that the forum exists to discuss the issue and not the contributors. Suffice it to say that I stand at the front in any line in defense of the Constitutional values to which you alluded. It would no doubt surprise you to know that I even have some sympathy for a few of the views Ms Arianejad espoused online. You don't know me and that alone renders your post an unwarranted attack in itself. Ironic...

The original post on this thread was an extract of a story run by a sympathetic news organ. I was interested and at first, just as outraged as anyone. However, there was more... there always is. Contributors at other media outlets began to highlight the clearly right-wing blog. At the time of writing there was no statement from the employer as to the veracity of the "she was fired only for exercising free speech" claim.

Who knows... maybe her employer is just an overly sensitive character and hated the publicity. That would be probably fall under T&Cs. Maybe the CEO is a raging, progressive liberal Democrat who hates her views. That would be unfair, but paradoxically it would mean the carrier would be trying to pay a decent living wage, wouldn't it?. Of course it's possible that her published opinions were another factor in this, perhaps causing workplace friction. That's unclear right now but needed to be considered. That's why I equally call "cheap shot" on the initial "story" which attempted to selectively portray this through one lens alone.

Although I believe my motives were grossly misrepresented, I stand by my decision to highlight the other dimension in this. Feel free to reply, just know that I won't be participating in any personal explanations or debates as to my political and philosophical integrity.

[Northbeach]

Starter Crew, whatever you employment capacity do enjoy your next tour of the Boeing factory and the multi-million dollar engines (“they are things of beauty”); while the cabin staff labor for next to nothing.

Industry wages qualifying for public assistance and making that case public is the issue. Not her politics.

I usually skip the CC forum, but like you the termination of a Flight Attendant caught my eye. I work with Cabin Crew daily. Most of them are outstanding! I rely on them to be my eyes and ears behind the locked and reinforced door. Over the decades I have learned to trust their opinions. They work extremely hard under sometimes difficult circumstances and carry on quite well under most conditions jammed in an aluminum tube 10,000 meters above the ground. I would not last a month doing their job. I can’t stand to see Cabin Crew trashed, insulted, marginalized, humiliated, paid poorly or have cheap shots taken at them. I support their collective efforts to improve T&Cs.

In my post I did not accuse you of anything. I amplified and did to you, by design, exactly what you did to the flight attendant. I used vague generalizations, open ended questions, possible suggestions and the word “may”. In doing so I planted an unflattering suggestion of your possible motivation and character. You didn’t like it did you? In my opinion, that is precisely what you post did to the flight attendant under discussion.

I am moving on from this thread, it doesn’t matter to me who has the last word. I work with these people, not you (apparently from your 25 +/- posts I have looked at).

A happy flight crew is a good and safe crew; making enough money to stay off public assistance isn’t asking too much (to me). If you care to continue the "discussion" then the PM (private message) route is open to you. Feel free, fire away. I am done with this thread.

Another good feature of PPruNe is the “ignore” option, you have the wonderful ability to place anybody you want on your ignore list. None of what they write will show up to you.

Until Cabin Crew proves otherwise, they have my support on the line. I will defend their efforts to improve their lot in life.

I hope you never end up in the unemployment line, or on public assistance and get to walk away from this industry (or however you pay the bills) with your piece of the pie (just leave some for others)- take care.

Northbeach.

[girtbar]

Northbeach, I wish i knew and worked with more f/d like you!

[Ndicho Moja]

Back in the mid eighties I worked for a tertiary airline on the East coast of the USA. One of our crew applied for financial assistance from the govournment to help him and his family make ends meet. Within days he was called in by management and chastised for bringing the airline into disrepute. So not very much has changed over the years least of all wages.

[oggers]

I think Starter Crew and Diplome are quite right. I have seen this story syndicated all over the internet but so far it remains one aggrieved party's uncorroborated version of events. We don't actually know the reason why this flight attendant was sacked and the scant information available, whilst lending itself to a good headline, is a poor basis for forming a fair opinion.

[3greenandnored]

Sadly this whole issue of terminations due to little things that embarrass an airline but may be essential to the survival o f the employee is nothing new. several Mesa air crew members(pilots) from their now defunct WestAir sub, were fired back in the early 90's for applying for food stamps. When WestAir was it's own entity prior to being bought by Mesa, the wages were survivable; however, after the take over wages were significantly cut for the majority of the pilots. The CC from Compass ran into a similar situation. Compass was recently purchased by Trans States Holdings, a company which has a poor labor relations history at best, like Mesa would rather abuse it's employees and then later blame said employees for their own termination or suspension rather than their(Trans States Holdings)actions which brought the employees to this sad position.

[Anthill]

Perhaps a solution is that all crew, technical or cabin, that qualify for food stamps should do so, industry wide. Can the company fire everybody?

Use the fact that you are all on assistance as leverage at the next T&Cs negotiation. Good luck.

[jackx123]

To me it seems she belongs to a minority (qualified for food stamps) just like indigenous indian americans or black americans. As far as I know, with a good lawyer, she would stand a fair chance of winning a discrimination case.

Although it can be argued that she made an announcement which was not related to safety or in line with company policy & procedures, it is hard to see why a spur of happiness qualifies for termination.

As long as there was no embedded message detrimental to the airline (employer) causing loss of business a lawyer should be able to argue the case in her favor.