The union which represents tens of thousands of flight attendants at United Airlines is demanding the immediate resignation of the Chicago-based carrier’s head of inflight service after the airline introduced a controversial new sickness policy which treats flight attendants like “liars and scammers”.
In a video message to its members, Ken Diaz, the head of the United branch of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), said the airline was forcing sick crew members to come to work and expose their colleagues and passengers to illness.
“John Slater’s actions this past weekend were a direct and malicious attack on the character of all United flight attendants,” Diaz slammed after United Airlines told crew members that they face being terminated if they go sick on a weekend.
“This unilateral policy change is an intentional and coordinated attack on all United flight attendants,” Diaz continued. “The policy that has been set forward treats us like we are all liars and scammers. He is forcing flight attendants to come to work when they are sick, exposing other crew members and passengers.”
Diaz added: “This is shameful; shame on you, John; you are not treating flight attendants with dignity and respect.”
The flight attendant union has had an uncomfortable relationship with Slater, who took over as United’s Senior Vice President for Inflight Service around two years ago
In the past, the union has come to blows with Slater on several occasions, including accusations that the airline had cut too many support staff during the pandemic, leaving flight attendants struggling to get help with scheduling issues.
Slater hit back, accusing the union of using long call hold times for “political opportunism” and claiming that it deliberately failed to tell its members about all the work that was happening behind the scenes to improve their work life.
Last week, however, the uneasy tension between Slater and the union came to a head when the airline told flight attendants that they must obtain an absence certificate if they go sick for a trip or reserve duty that falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
If crew members fail to provide their manager with an absence certificate within 72 hours of going sick, they will be subjected to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
The union claims the policy change violates the flight attendant contract. The new rules have proven so controversial that the US Department of Labor has confirmed that it has gotten involved to check whether the policy is legal.
In the meantime, Diaz is now demanding that Slater resign with immediate effect.
“United’s MEC [Master Executive Council] has no confidence in John Slater,” Diaz said in his video message. “We are today asking John to do the right thing and resign immediately.”
Diaz continued, “Management has repeatedly abandoned its employees, making false promises and gaslighting all of us. We have now seen the truth, and we will not stay silent.”
The new sickness policy has been introduced ahead of United flight attendants’ voting in a strike authorization ballot set to begin in August. Bargaining between the two sides on an updated contract has been slow, and the union hopes that a vote in favor of taking strike action will compel United to improve its offer at the bargaining table.