Originally Posted by
Symmetre
It's an interesting tactic to try and engage public support ahead of possible labour action, including a strike. Their problem is that the current agreement runs through March 31, beyond the spring break travel surge, yet long before summer vacation travel really kicks off. If the FAs did go on strike then, the general public for the most part wouldn't be significantly impacted. Business travel would be, of course, but that doesn't appear to be the target of their current efforts.
IMHO they are mostly talking to themselves...I don't believe most of the 'general public' could give a flying Frenchman about how and how much AC FA's get paid. I also expect any strike would be short lived with little support from the members as FA's, unlike Pilots, are likely not in a financial position to be able to live out a strike that lasts more than a week or 2.
As far as this whole notion of 'un-paid work' goes, unless they had the most incompetent bargaining committee in the history of bargaining committees, all of those 'un-paid hours' have been imputed into getting to the hourly rate for the hours that they are paid for. There would have been a calculation done that on average X paid hours = Y worked hours and the hourly rate grossed up accordingly. I'm sure there are lots of members that aren't happy with how this works, perhaps because they don't understand that if they got paid for Y hours worked that the rate would go down accordingly and it becomes a zero sum game.
As usual, will be interesting to see how this plays out, and how any increased costs get passed on in higher fares and ancillary fees.