American To Appeal Skycap Tip Verdict

[DemoTex]

American plans to appeal a jury decision to award nine Boston Logan skycaps some $325,000 for tips the skycaps say they've lost since American started charging a fee for curbside baggage check-in at the airport in September.

Similar cases are pending against United, US Airways and JetBlue at Logan.

American also announced it would immediately implement a no-tipping policy for skycaps at Logan. The airline has posted signage at the airport stressing "tipping is prohibited for all assistance with baggage" and that "no portion of will go to service personnel," said American spokesman Tim Smith.

To offset the potential for lost wages, G2 services, which provides the airline with skycap and other staff, is raising the hourly wages it pays the skycaps to between $12 and $15 per hour. Skycaps were previously paid below minimum-wage--$5.15 an hour--because of the tip-based nature of their jobs. (More at AvWeek link ..)



http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/SKY05018.xml

Interesting. I have known some sharp Skycaps in my career .. some of whom I thought did very well off their tipped-based baggage check-in service. Seems that a paltry $10/hr. wage hike doesn't come close to covering lost tip income. What's next? Outback Steakhouse? Starbucks (oops!)?

[MercutioATC]

1. Know what I do when an employer forbids tips and I get great service?

I tip 'em.

I'm glad they're making more, but I'll still tip friendly Skycaps.

[DemoTex]

2. Amen, aviation-brother!

The fact that this story was reported by Aviation Week Online tells me many people will not get the news. Good. Ignorance is bliss .. for the bag schleppers.

[deadmessengers]

3. Know what some employers do when that happens?

They fire 'em. I've seen this one with my own eyes - I used to work in a grocery store as a teenager, and we were forbidden to accept tips. From time to time, the store chain would send in "secret shoppers" who would offer tips to the baggers when they helped them load groceries into their cars. Those who accepted tips were fired, and it happened at least twice in the two years that I worked there.

So, while you certainly have your heart in the right place, you may be putting someone in a crappy situation - one where they have to either choose to decline a genuine act of generosity and appear rude, or risk losing their job.

[MercutioATC]

4. I hadn't realized that...

I'll still tip, but I won't press if they refuse.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Was the Grocery store a "Publix Market"?

I know they had a no tipping policy for years as well as offering carry out service.

(For those of you not familiar with this chain, Publix is based in Florida and is mostly South Eastern US. For years the young person who bagged your groceries would help you to the car with them, without asking. The no tipping policy was strictly enforced. These days they ask you if you want help, and this has cut down on the number of people they need working the front of the store.)

[deadmessengers]

8. No - Pathmark, in NYC. n/t

[Hand]

6. Pretty interesting interview with the Skycaps' lawyer here...

Her name's Shannon Liss-Riordan, and yes, Starbucks is next.

It's really exciting to see workers coming together and realizing that they have rights and they can take action to protect them. Word gets out, someone gets a settlement, one case leads to another. I get calls from waiters in Massachusetts and now around country, saying, "Hey, I didn't know that I could do something about this."

It takes a lot of time, a lot of sweat, a lot of writing briefs, a lot of arguing before judges, but I love doing work that's sticking up for the little guy, supporting working people. I love going against large corporations who think they're above the law because of their wealth and resources, and turning the tables on them and helping workers find their voice.

It's very exciting and very powerful to bring a case that can have repercussions for many employees in a class action that helps people who live paycheck to paycheck or shift to shift, even in a non-unionized setting. This is an exciting other way that workers can stand up for themselves.

link

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. Brookshire Brothers grocery chain forbids tipping sackboys.

They are a grocery chain in East Texas.

That sucks.

[jasmine621]

9. Our candidates need to jaw-bone this issue. Which one will? nt