Flight Attendant fired for admitting she qualifies for food stamps.

[TalkingDog]

http://avstop.com/news_august_2010/flight_attendant_gets_fired_for_saying_she_qualifies_for_food_stamps.htm

A Compass Airlines flight attendant, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), was terminated on Thursday after publicly revealing she qualified for foods stamps. Despite a full-time schedule, flight attendant Kirsten Arianejad was recently featured in a local television interview announcing that she had been approved for food stamps in order compensate for her low wages.

"Poverty is not a crime and it is despicable that Compass Airlines would fire an employee for speaking the truth,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. “Unfortunately, there are flight attendants across the country who have to rely on federal and state assistance to make ends meet.

Instead of paying hardworking flight attendants a living wage, airline management would rather shame them and make them fear for their jobs. We call on Compass to immediately reinstate Kirsten Arianejad."

[LostinVA]

1. Many pilots do, too

As well as soldiers.

[Nay]

9. You know what's also awful? 35 yrs ago being a flight attendant

paid a living wage. In fact, it paid more than a living wage. And pilots got decent money, too.

And now you get fired for pointing out that you qualify for food stamps?

This country is going down in flames.

[progressoid]

10. 35 yrs ago a LOT of jobs paid a living wage.

Not so much anymore.

[elehhhhna]

55. & that's because they pay the same amount as they did 35 years ago.

[Danger Mouse]

82. +1000

[brewens]

63. 30 yrs ago at minimum wage I had an apartment, phone, cable

TV and a reasonable car payment. I made it with a little money to party on. Just barely but it worked out. No way you could say that now.

[Mimosa]

106. The 1970s were livable, weren't they? n/t

[GreenTea]

73. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF REPUBLICANS & CORPORATIONS BUSTING UP UNIONS!

35 five years ago unions were strong and more than 50% of the country was a member of their workers union....35 years ago with a union job the whole family had health care , workers made a good wages had sick pay & vacation & overtime pay and worker safety on the job was enforced by the unions and retirement & pensions (ALL thanks to the Democrats - republicans fought it all and still do)- usually one parent was able to stay home and college was affordable, free or very inexpensive for all.....And corporations then were still making huge profits --- BUT THE CORPORATIONS WANTED MORE & MORE - Fuck the workers....

Then along came the corporate loving republican union-busting Reagan - And even idiot workers who enjoyed what unions fought for them were taken in by Reagan and his neocon bullshit -that were enjoying the benefits of having a union voted for the bullshit me propaganda republican corporate ideology Reagan - When Republican Ronald Reagan was all about tax cuts for the rich & corporations and corporate deregulation and OIL - destroy all funding for clean alternative energy programs, funding and incentives - which included thumbs down for mass transit and anything else that might threaten the republican donating oil corporations profit!

Now only 7% of the country belongs to a union (republicans want to outlaw unions) and still there are idiots union workers who agree with the republicans - Unions have shrunk and so has the middle-class - NO coincidence.....You open your mouth now you get fired -

NO union there to fight for your job - just the way the greedy republicans and corporations want it - out sourcing of our jobs, corporations hiring millions of undocumented workers working that formerly union jobs for little and no benefits and a lot of unemployed Americas who are force to take low paying non union corporate jobs and the corporation say you don't like it tough shit- who can you go to - no union and there's plenty of unemployed who'll work for even less.

This is why the republicans and their corporations have been destroying unions for the past 30 years - Unions are the only united voice workers have -fighting for long time workers pensions, that now corporations are keeping for themselves - And less union strengthen to fight for the workers....

Until there are no unions left - just the way the corporate republican fascist want it - and CEO of these same companies are making 50 to 100 million dollars of year - some of it used to be workers money -

The same corporations who pay million dollar lobbyist to payoff and fight for the corporations to receive tax cuts, government subsidies (welfare) bailouts, bankruptcies, government contracts & government paid incentives....ALL from OUR taxes and hide everything in off-shore accounts - So of course the republicans have always wanted to destroy the unions the workers only voice.

And these same greedy selfish corporate republican bastards get pissed off if democrats want to raise the minimum wage 35 cents an hour to worker barely surviving and need food stamps just to eat & stay alive and still the corporations want MORE & MORE!

[Historic NY]

76. He decimated Federal Workers when he cut the SS portion of their retirement...

I know of an 82+ yr old man still working after mandatory federal retirement. He came here as a tailor.

[Enthusiast]

100. Plus fucking one!

One could almost say the Republican Party is UNAMERICAN. Almost.....

[BlancheSplanchnik]

115. Oh , don't hold back on account of politeness!

You'd be speaking the truth.

Won't get fired for it, not here, anyway!!!!!



:)

[secondwind]

102. THIS IS WHY THERE'S A MARCH ON WASHINGTON ON OCT. 2.....WE ALL NEED TO GO!

[indy legend]

116. And I'm sure the "liberal" media these fucks are always crying

about will be there to cover this march just like they were for the Becktards. (Sarcasm)

[Swagman]

108. well put and sadly true

[DeeDeeNY]

111. +1

Exactly right.

:applause:

[INdemo]

114. Most people dont understand that these corporate Republicans

planned their strategy back in the 60's and as we see today they have accomplished their goals..Our Country's wealth belongs to the top 1%..Now we have so called Democrats to represent our interests but obviously they have joined the ranks of this corporate power group too..We are screwed..
When the Bush tax cuts are extended it will take these corporate Democrats to do it and they have already begun making excuses.

[DissedByBush]

121. The fault of some unions too

Like corporate fat cats, those at the top of unions can get greedy too.

Then they are out for personal power and the aggrandizement of the union itself, not necessarily to represent the workers.

You know something's wrong when a union itself is extensively involved in violating workers' rights to organize.

[freebrew]

129. It started before Reagan,

when the Teamsters crossed the picket lines of other unions.

[Enthusiast]

98. Race to the bottom.

But, you know, free trade and deregulation is good for EVERYONE.

[dotymed]

125. Profits before people.

Our government encourages this with their (chamber of commerce) written laws. Companies must pay (untaxed) dividend to their stockholders before any other considerations. Well, first they have to give obscene bonuses to their CEO's and board of directors.
We currently live in a Fascist, police state. Inarguable.

[LostinVA]

36. I know

[SlipperySlope]

90. 35 years ago the airline industry was very profitable and very regulated

35 years ago the airline industry was very profitable and very regulated. Flying was less affordable for the common man, but those who could afford it were treated with a degree of luxury.

Since airlines were prohibited from competing on price they competed using other means. The profits they generated were enough to give good careers to pilots, flight attendants, and mechanics.

Today the industry struggles to make consistent profit.

[Kringle]

97. and had one-tenth as many employees ...nt

[Enthusiast]

101. Very good points.

We did what the Republicans wanted and it turned to shit, just like the rest of the country.

[iamforobama]

110. DEREGULATION-another result of OF THE REPUKES

GREAT RONALD REGAN. The father of the whole mess............

[indy legend]

117. I hope that SOB Reagan is roasting in hell for what his policies have done

to this country and the working people. I have friends who still boast of what a great American he was and that he was the greatest President in US history. Let me see if I can put this in terms that fully describe how I fell about this bastard and what he has done to all of us. FUCK REAGAN and the horse he rode in on. There, I think that does it.

[HoraceX]

130. I know

I don't miss the days where it was $800 to even think about getting on a plane.

[liberal N proud]

136. Thank Reaganomics

[Danger Mouse]

83. Sick and wrong. What has America become?

[indy legend]

118. America has become the Republican's wet dream they always envisioned

[jonathan_seer]

94. Soldiers yes, Pilots you must be kidding!

According to the US Dept. of Labor, the lowest paid pilots start in the low 50s and can end up above 200K eventually.

That was commercial pilots.

There aren't many jobs where the starting pay is above $50,000 like pilots.

The lowest paid pilots I could find were for corporate pilots with less than a year experience as a pilot at $40,000 approx.

So your notion that pilots are joining airline stewards on the food stamp line is wrong.

Now regarding soldiers, quite a few of the enlisted qualify, not just because their salaries are low, but they are married with children making it a necessity if they want to feed everyone they support.

[Starry Messenger]

96. Maybe the US Dept. of Labor needs to update

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Aviation-Flying-1651/Pilot-Carreers-Salary.htm

Question
I am very interested in a carreer in piloting and was curious as to the different types of piloting jobs and their salaries. Also, could you possibly tell me about the availability of these jobs? Thanks.

Answer
Matt,

I can only tell you about airline pilot careers.

Starting out in this career flying for a regional new hire pilots often qualify for food stamps. Seriously. Only after a few years in the business does the income move into the high $20K range.

In the civilian career path progression, a pilot will usually work at a regional carrier before moving on to a major airline. While some regionals pay close to $30K after 3 years or so, it takes several years at other to make that much. Starting out in this career one must expect to make some very low wages until they begin to build seniority with their airline and move up the payscale.

Largest connection carrier, "Express" or regional affiliate airlines starting gross monthly pay:

# American Eagle $1,725
# Comair - $1,72
# Chautauqua - $1,650
# Mesa - $1,596
# Mesaba - $1,800
# Pinnacle $1,575
# Skywest $1,425
# Trans States $1,628


Pilot pay is something the general public often has a lot of misconceptions about. The general 'glamorization' of the career leads many people to think that airline pilots make $250-300K+ a year and that they work two weeks or less a month. While there are a select few captains at the major carriers that do, they are by far the minority. According to the Air Line Pilots Association, their average major* airline member Captain is 50 years old, with 18 years seniority and makes $182,000 a year. A non-major airline Captain is 41 years old with 10 years of seniority and makes $70,000 a year. The average ALPA First Officer member at a major airline is 43 years old with 10 years of seniority and makes $121,000 per year, while an ALPA non major First Officer is age 35 with 3 years of service and makes $33,000.
*A major airline is a carrier with more than a billion in sales annually. American, Delta, Northwest, United, Continental, US Airways, Southwest, Alaska (and even several 'regional' carriers) are considered majors by that definition. However, not all major carriers pilots are members of the ALPA union, notably AA & SWA who have their own in house unions.

Factors affecting pilot pay:
# Time with the company (seniority)
# Aircraft flown
# Whether they are a Captain or First Officer (seat)
# The hours in their monthly schedule
# The payscale at their specific airline

A pilots pay is figured upon the hourly rate for their seat and their equipment based upon the pay grade for their seniority. Each company also has a set 'minimum guarantee' flight hour pay in their pilot contract. This is generally about 75 hours per month but varies slightly by airline. (A few majors guarantee is only 65!) However, in no case will the pilot earn less than the 'minimum guarantee'. They may fly less than 75 actual flight hours, but they will still be paid for the 75 per their guarantee. If they get a flight schedule that is blocked for more flight hours than the minimum guarantee, they will then get paid for the greater amount of time flown instead, plus per diem. Flight crew make about $1-3 per hour in 'per diem' for every hour they are away from their domicile on a trip to cover expenses. This generally adds a few hundred dollars to their pay check.

A general comparison of starting monthly First Officer pay by airline*:

# AMERICAN - $2,240
# CONTINENTAL - $2,500
# DELTA - $3,640
# FED EX - $3,700
# NORTHWEST - $2,574
# SOUTHWEST - $3,744
# UNITED - $1,950
# US AIRWAYS - $1,875
# UPS - $2,187
*all without per diem, based on minimum monthly guarantee, first year pay in smallest fleet type

Here is a Captain pay comparison* at 12 years of seniority, by the largest type in fleet (best paying). This is the gross top pay scale for each fleet type:

# American 777 - $12,352
# Continental 777 - $14,688
# Delta 777 - $14,040
# Fed EX widebody $14,874
# Northwest 747 - $14,586
# Southwest 737 - $14,196
# United 747 - $11,570
# US Airways A330 $11,520
# UPS (all a/c) $15,390
*all without per diem, based on minimum monthly guarantee, 12 pay in largest fleet type

To find out what the specific base pay is for each major, cargo or charter operator by seat & seniority visit-
AirlinePilotPay.com

You will also find information on pay at the Bureau of Labor Statistics site: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos107.htm#earnings

As for the job outlook, the industry is constantly changing. The airline business goes in cycles and is very affected by the economy. A few years ago there was a huge hiring boom and now the airlines are still reeling from the post 9/11 fallout. Thousands of airline pilots are still laid off from their jobs, although there are certain financially healthy regionals and majors who are hiring.

I can't comment on the outlook (or pay) of other kinds of pilot jobs like corporate, charter, medivac, aerial survey, crop dusting, ect as I have no experience in those careers.

Hope this covers the airline side,

Dottie

[Grinchie]

133. Step up to the plate.. Let's see how far that $50 K gets you.

Maybe it will pay off your student loans in 20 years, or would you join the Military and learn to fly while bombing targets of interest in Afganistan during 14 hour sorties?

If you think $50K/per year is good, then you are living in a fucking dreamworld, and unless you were raised in a 2 room shack in the woods, you'd see very quickly that you are nothing more than a rat stuck in a cage.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Serves her right!

Oh, wait, no it doesn't!

[CTyankee]

3. I can't see a jury agreeing with this. I hope she sues and gets a big settlement...nt

[Statistical]

7. Sad thing is depending on the state the company may be legally allowed to fire her

for this reason, any reason, or no reason at all.

Not saying it is right but "right to work" essentially means the company can fire you for:
a) being too tall
b) being too fat
c) not liking the Washington Redskins
d) not saying the pledge of allegence
e) refusing to go to a Nascar race
f) stating the WMD in Iraq was a lie
etc

[KamaAina]

16. g) being gay or lesbian

in quite a few states. Seriesly. :grr:

[Wednesdays]

26. Even SUSPECTED of being gay or lesbian...

Or, suspected of being a Democrat, and so on...

[Enthusiast]

103. It could come to that.

Seriously.

[KamaAina]

19. I believe you're referring to "at will" employment states

which is not quite the same as right-to-work (no union shop allowed), though they tend to go together.

[Raster]

62. Just another example of Amerimemes. Right to work = fired for no reason.

No child left behind = Shitty education system blamed on teachers.

[classof56]

119. Amerimemes--I like that.

Just wrote down the NCLB meme, and I'll be using that one. As I was writing it, this came to mind: Slavery = an all-expense paid ocean voyage to the land of opportunity. Probably doesn't qualify as an Amerimeme, but maybe for Texas textbooks' revised version of history.

:eyes:

[Raster]

127. Texas, my friend, is a whole different almost country.

[classof56]

137. I hear ya! My late mother was born there, and several relatives still call Texas home.

The ones who forward the ugly, hateful e-mails about our current president, but would not abide one negative comment about their "fellow Texan", that man o'faith GWB. These days I'm almost ashamed to be a part of the same gene pool. Find myself thinking it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they seceded, like Gov. Perry was talking awhile back...

[unblock]

65. yes, but only absent any specific contract or employee handbook that says otherwise

some companies can and do restrict themselves by agreeing by contract or employee handbook to fire only under certain conditions and/or with a certain process. this is particularly common for executives or where a union is involved. the airline industry still has unions, though as with most unions they are not as powerful as they once were.

still, it sounds like there was a union and most likely there were specific, contacted rules regarding firing that would apply before falling back on state law.

having said that, talking to the press without authorization probably is one of the specifically agreed grounds for termination. disclosing compensation information probably is another.

[Sanity Claws]

70. I've never seen such a provision in a CBA

She was speaking on her own behalf. It has nothing to do with job performance. Generally under a CBA, an employee can be fired only for cause. I don't see cause for termination.

[marybourg]

67. The phrase you want is "employment at will". "Right to work"

is an anti-union measure.

[liberation]

84. Probably is easier than that.

I am sure the airline covered their behinds and there is a nice clause about this exact scenario in the 2000 page contract she signed.

I don't think a lot of Americans realize a lot of contractual obligations from many employers amount to basically waged slavery. And that is not hyperbole.

[Grinchie]

134. Actually, it is called "At Will" employment..

Over the years, I have been subjected to this type of employment Catch 22, and many states operate under this pretense of being able to terminate anyone at anytime with or without a reason.

Not many people know that lots of states in America operate under this rule, notably California.

I have also learned that this means that there is no job security. Period. People need to be aware of the labor laws, and makes an informed decision as to whether you want to subject yourself to employment under those terms or not. It can temper your tolerance for Bullshit Jobs, unpleasant working conditions, and an environment that just wastes your time when you could be learning a new skill.

The "At-Will" clause is nothing more than a free pink slip for the employer whenever he chooses, so "You better get with the Program!"

[TalkingDog]

8. Some jobs come with a clause forbidding you to discuss anything about your job with the press

I used to work for a movie theater chain which imposed that rule on their management.

Is she agreed to such as a part of her employ, things might not go so well in a courtroom.

[AngryOldDem]

112. Not only with the press.

Salary discussions are off-limits, period, in some businesses.

[Grinchie]

135. Don't want others to know how much they are being underpaid, do we?

[DBoon]

11. I was on one such jury

You'd be surprised how hard it is to get justice for an illegal termination:

- You need to spend tens of thousands of dollars up front in legal fees, expert witness fees and the like
- The company will trot out all of their experts and try to smear your reputation by bringing up irrelevant incidents from your employment. No detail of your employment history is out of bounds and to be honest the company will just flat-out lie if they think they can get away with it
- Jurors come in with a bias against suing companies and will subject the plaintiffs motives and reputation to incredibly harsh criticism.

All the propaganda about trigger-happy lawyers costing Americans their jobs has really sunk in. It was amazing how many people were pulled from the jury pool because they said flat out that nobody should be able to sue for unlawful termination. it was also amazing the attitudes of people who got on the jury.

[bobbolink]

14. Thank you for that. We have indeed become a very mean nation, and justice is

practically dead. :cry:

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, TalkingDog.

[daleanime]

5. If they don't like it...

they should have paid her more!:mad:

[Hannah Bell]

6. +100

[EmeraldCityGrl]

45. How much more of this shit are we going to take?

I'm seriously considering attending the march in Washington D.C. on Oct. 2nd with Ed Schultz.

We have got to start doing something.

[daleanime]

54. I'll be there....

if at all possible.:bounce: Maybe if I take the bus down and back, and I sleep on the bus....:think:

[RainDog]

66. Please do!

the leaders of this nation need to wake the fuck up and see what is happening to people.

[BlueCollar]

12. Another greedy airline employee

Doesn't she realize it's an infringement on passengers rights for her to be paid a living wage?


:sarcasm:

[bobbolink]

13. The injustices pile up. :( Thanks for posting this!

K&R :kick:

[Bozita]

15. FauxNews viewers will never hear a word about this!

[KamaAina]

17. In case you're wondering, Compass operates as Delta Connection

Delta inherited it from Northworst, so it files from the Twin Cities, Detroit and Memphis.

[marmar]

33. Now that Delta has it, it flies from Atlanta and JFK too.

[KamaAina]

38. Oh, ducky.

Still more connections to avoid.

[EXneoCON]

47. I believe I heard that Compass...

has just filed for bankruptcy...or has decided to close shop - one or the other.

[dflprincess]

74. Northwest had its labor problems but at least it was a union shop

Delta is not. Now that Delta has taken over NWA there's a vote coming up for the flight attendants about whether or not to stay with the union. I believe I've read that Delta does pay a bit better - but what nobody mentions is they've done that to keep the unions out. Once the airlines succeed in breaking the unions completely, Delta flight attendents will see their pay and benefits shrink and they won't have any protection.

I hope the non-union employess figure that out.

BTW I think Delta sold Compass off this summer.

[KamaAina]

75. Per Wiki, you're correct about the sale

but it was to a holding company; Compass continues to fly as Delta Connection.

[RamboLiberal]

18. Really makes passenger feel safe

That the pilots and FA's responsible for your safety make McDonald's wages. :sarcasm:

There are a few air crashes IMHO where tired low-wage pilots were a factor. That Calgon crash in Buffalo last year being one.

[Vinca]

21. I was shocked at how little those Colgan pilots made a year.

[blindpig]

20. Despicable capitalist swine. k&r

[JanMichael]

27. +10

[DeltaLitProf]

22. Olbermann needs to have her on

. . . and our other TV and radio hosts need to spotlight this case. It reveals the mentality of a class of employers who have benefited over the past 20 years from de-regulation and anti-union policies.

[RamboLiberal]

30. Or Big Ed or Rachel need to get her on

[indimuse]

105. Agreed!

Why not ALL!

[iamjoy]

31. Worst Person in the World

whoever fired her that is...

[SoCalDem]

23. The public still has the image of the "Swinging Sixties" , when it comes to airline employees

The common idea was that they were footloose fun-seekers who jetted all over the world in their designer duds, having fun all along the way with party-all-the-time pilots & celebrities..

Hey..that's what the moooooovies told us, so it MUST be true:eyes:

IF it ever even was that way, that time has faded into the mist. Most flight attendants are paid way less than they deserve, and are forced to bear a LOT of extra expenses due to being gone so much.

[Mimosa]

25. They used to make good money. n/t

[SoCalDem]

28. Not since deregulation & the corporate cannibalism

I was a travel consultant from 1970-77, & it USED to be great.

[Caretha]

60. Me too

was a TA from '71 to '83 and sold my agency after the Sunset Law.

[dmr]

61. Many of them have to pay for their own hotels during layovers now!

This is so disrespectful. Attendants & pilots!

[Mnpaul]

24. Happy labor day

now get out

[xxqqqzme]

29. Compass appears to be in the running

for Worst person in the world.

[GCP]

32. Fuckers - that is all eom

[fascisthunter]

34. the republican dream... low wages for everyone, even themselves right?

righhhhhht.

[eShirl]

35. If the airline is so embarassed about it they should raise their employees' salaries

to the point where they make too much to qualify for food stamps.

Otherwise they should suck it up. Cheapskates.

[malaise]

37. This is disgraceful

The message is take your pittance and remain silent.
Boycott Compass.

[Freetradesucks]

39. That's some bullshit.

What the FUCK!!?? They pay her a rate that qualifies her for food stamps in her state, she says so while standing in front of a camera, and THEY FIRE HER!!?

There is definitely a lawsuit in there somewhere.....

Show me the malicious intent? She was just stating a fact. This pisses me off.

[femrap]

40. We're a

fascist fucking nation.

May Compass crash and burn....the biz not their planes w/ people on them. Well...OK, mgt. could be on it.

[FiveGoodMen]

41. If only curses actually worked.

The properly-empower individual could walk up to the big-wigs at Compass and say, "Poorer."

[Octafish]

42. Maybe the FAA will look into Compass Air maintainance practices. Maybe they skimp there, too.

Compass Airlines messed up Big Time. They are goiong to lose business because many people will be ticked over the firing and low wages. Hope the FAA looks into their maintainance practices. Many airlines have been running a, uh, tight ship in the hangars, as well.

[quakerboy]

77. Naw.

They will just change their name, and maybe be bought by some other company, to remove the traces, so that the can go on with business as usual.

If this gets airtime. If it dosnt, they won't even have to do that much.

[TBF]

43. This is why we need Unions, for those who are too young to remember them.

And now this is how we celebrate Labor Day ...

[madrchsod]

44. if she was in illinois..

she`d draw unemployment,medical for her child and food stamps.

[madrchsod]

46. think about this......

how much do they pay the people who maintain the planes...

[James48]

48. Planes are maintained now mostly in third world countries.

Most maintenance is outsourced now.

One place in El Salvador is now doing much maintenance for Southwest Airlines. They pay their El Salvador mechanics $4,500 A YEAR.

http://luterano.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-aircraft-maintenance-jobs-move-to.html

Think about that the next time you fly.

[dsc]

68. just checked and that is lower than the per capita income in El Salvador

which is pretty scary.

[Anakin Skywalker]

71. Ooh. That Makes Me Feel So Confident About Flying! +1 For Flying.

NOT! I'm already not flying thanks to those Nazi airport security procedures. Now this?

[OnionPatch]

72. People always ask me if I hate flying because of 9-11

And I say, hell no, it's because these days I don't trust the corporations not to cut corners when it comes to maintenance.

[nashville_brook]

69. this is exactly the source of my "irrational" fear of flying.

[mike r]

49. None of their damn business

The corporate stranglehold on America is getting worse everyday.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

50. America! Proud to be an American? Compass, care to comment?

sigh

[Proud Liberal Dem]

51. Michael Moore talked about this in one of his books

I think it was "Stupid White Men"- written back in 2001. Depressing that it is actually a reality (and still occurring).

[bbgrunt]

80. he also covered it in his dvd "Capitalism, a love story"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

88. Oh you're right

I forgot about it- only saw it once (so far ;-))

[JVS]

52. If your place of work doesn't allow you to discuss your pay, it isn't enough.

[bertman]

53. Rec and kick. nt

[Stevenmarc]

56. See what happens when you bite the hand that doesn't feed you.

[Nikki Stone1]

57. A woman should starve before the corporate image suffers

We are Nibelungen, people.

[Lucky Luciano]

58. I will definitely be fired if I discussed my pay or my company with the press.

Only public relations employees may talk to the press without prior approval protocols.

[DeSwiss]

59. K&R

A general strike is all that's left.

[RainDog]

64. I hope the person who fired her dies a horrific death

just saying

[Withywindle]

78. I've always thought it was messed up that talking about income was SUCH a taboo.

I've been in social circles and workplaces where talking (hell, bragging) explicitly about sex was part of the culture---oh, but you HAVE to keep that paycheck face down, and never ever ever talk with co-workers--much less anyone else--about the number on it was violating some kind of cultural security clearance.

Fuck that. Flight attendants are high-responsibility workers. Sorry, love you Paul Westerberg, but they are a LOT more than a "Waitress in the Sky." They are highly trained, they work long hours, and they are responsible for passengers' safety in a worst-case scenario. And if some of them make so little money that they qualify for food stamps, well, it's not the individual who should be ashamed. The employer should be.

Personally, I would love to see income be taken off the table of taboo subjects. That "politeness" does no good for individual workers, only for the system.

[myrna minx]

79. K&R n/t

[Forkboy]

81. This is the practical and sensible thing to do, naturally.

[Danger Mouse]

85. God bless America, home of the Corporation, land of the bloated plutocrat.

[Orrex]

86. I've worked for companies that considered the disclosure of one's salary to be a termination offense

That is, if we discussed our salaries with other workers or disclosed them publicly (to the media, for instance), this was considered grounds for immediate termination.

It seems at least possible that the airline maintains a similar policy.

If so, then she certainly signed a statement acknowledging the policy, so she might be out of luck.


I'm absolutely not excusing the company for paying her such a shitty wage.

[Toucano]

91. I'm sure you're right.

Those policies are common and are a big part of the reason wages stay stagnant.

The corporations are permitted to engage in collusion to fix wages (they say they're "competing" for "talent"), but labor can't even SHARE data.

What better way to achieve plutocracy? Make labor agree to policies that counter its own self-interests and cripple its ability to bargain and negotiate.

[Brickbat]

120. Companies do that so you don't realize that people are being paid differently for the same job.

It's a union-busting policy. With a contract, her wage is public knowledge, so having a non-disclosure policy makes no sense. I'm guessing they're just being assholes.

[Orrex]

122. I didn't know that about contract=public knowledge. Is that standard?

If so, then they are indeed just being assholes.


And you're absolutely right about the nondisclosure being an effort to keep people ignorant about the value of their work.

[Brickbat]

123. Meh, I made an error.

People who are *employed by unions* have to fill out a public form with the government that discloses their salaries. I thought contracts also had to be filed, but I'm wrong.

OTOH, when there's a contract, there's little incentive or even use in trying to keep it private. Most unions have a version of it on their websites.

[Orrex]

124. Anyway, your more important point was correct and bears (paraphrased) repeating

The wage-secrecy is intended to prevent workers from comparing what they're making, i.e., how badly one is getting screwed relative to another.

[countmyvote4real]

87. Now that corporations have all rights of personhood, real people are just wage slaves.

I suspect that one man=one vote will be officially reduced to 3/5ths.

[alp227]

89. So are poor people really that lazy like Glenn Beck says?

No, as this story (and many others) tell, poor people are kicked to the dirt all the freaking time and are expected to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps!

[Starry Messenger]

92. Happy Labor Day!

:sarcasm:

[KillCapitalism]

93. When does it end?

Someday I fear we'll all be working for 90 cents an hour like the Chinese do.

[earcandle]

95. give that girl her job back and increase those wages dude.

[Enthusiast]

99. Do away with food stamps, problem solved.

Yeah, that's the ticket. I bet it could pass the senate.

[indimuse]

104. disgraceful!

KNR!

[a la izquierda]

107. Poverty is NOT a crime and I'm so tired...

of people treating poor people and the homeless like crooks. It's positively disgusting. And very symptomatic of a sick society.
:mad:

[BEZERKO]

109. Man, I remember when

a job with the airlines was a big deal. Flight attendants on foodstamps, people putting fuel in airliners for 10 bucks an hr? Not good. I guess she's going to qualify for wellfare now.

[WestSeattle2]

113. Private sector cost-shifting to states has been going on for

years. Restaurants and retailers are both notorious for it - while they rack up billions in "earnings", their employees are on the public dole.

Burger King just sold for $3.3 billion - how many of their employees collect state aid?

And don't even get me started on Walmart.

Billions of dollars are distributed to shareholders, while taxpayers foot the employee benefit bill.

This is capitalism?

What a country.

[sam sarrha]

126. here is the Dirty Little Secret of the Recession and low wages... >Link>>

http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html

Financial Wealth
Top ..1% ......Next 19%..... Bottom 80%

2007 42.7% .........50.3% ..........7.0%

...so the top richest 1% have 6 times the Financial wealth of the Bottom 80%, who also hold 73.4% of debt

how can there be any sort of economy with that kind of Wealth ReDistribution going on

[SoapBox]

128. It's happened before...America West Airlines and Pan Am to name two...

When America West Airlines began service in the fall of 1983, the pay was
so low (at the time, they worked 5 days a week, doing all jobs) that they
were applying for food stamps in Arizona...the company got told by the state
that they were not going to put up with it, so the company raised the pay
rate just barely but enough for the employees to be denied food stamps.

Pan Am apparently did the same thing many years ago.

[Paper Roses]

131. If a working flight attendant qualifies, I wonder if I could?

Living on only a SS check each month, half of which goes to house taxes. I have always figured that I had to be homeless to qualify. I think I'll start looking into this.
Geeze, for almost everyone, it gets harder and harder.

[Omaha Steve]

132. Why didn't Compass give her a raise is they are so ashamed of what they pay?

Seems like a win win to me,

K&R!