Virgin America Flight Attendants Vote to Create Union

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Bloomberg

By Mary Schlangenstein

Virgin America Inc. flight attendants voted to establish the first union at the airline partly owned by U.K. billionaire Richard Branson, ending its status as the largest U.S. carrier without organized labor.

Collective bargaining with the Transport Workers Union raises the prospect of higher operating costs for the airline, which filed July 28 for an initial public offering. The carrier reported second-quarter net income of $37 million yesterday after posting its first annual profit in 2013.

Today’s vote follows a decision in April by pilots at JetBlue Airways Corp. to join the Air Line Pilots Association, ending that carrier’s status as the largest nonunion U.S. airline at that time. JetBlue flight attendants also are seeking an election on TWU representation.

“With this vote, flight attendants will have a say on how to further improve Virgin along with their own work lives,” John Samuelsen, TWU International executive vice president, said in a statement. “This is a chance to make the airline better for both customers and workers.”

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-13/virgin-america-flight-attendants-vote-to-create-union.html

[ballyhoo]

1. Excellent news...

[SoapBox]

2. Uhhhhhh...

Delta should be the largest and continuing largest, with the most non-union. Pilots and one other small group (weather?) were the only unions on the property.

Flight Attendants have tried once or twice (about 20,000 of them) but the company spent millions with a union busting firm and scared them out of it.

Congratulations to the smart employees at Virgin America and Jet Blue.

p.s...I hope this sticks in the craw of Branson. He's been setting up these airlines all over the world like a shell game.

[Omaha Steve]

4. The difference was Virgin had NO unions

And they have an IPO in the works. What will the investors think?

Virgin America posts profit as it readies for IPO: http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/08/13/virgin-america-posts-profit-as-it-readies-for-ipo/13994509/

Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY 10:05 a.m. EDT August 13, 2014

Virgin America reported a $37 million second-quarter profit Tuesday, moving into the black after posting a loss during the first quarter.

The San Francisco-based carrier's profit was up significantly when compared to the same quarter in 2013, when Virgin America posted an $8.8 million profit.

The Associated Press writes Virgin America's results "show how strong demand and limited new flights after a string of mergers are helping the airline industry. The average fare rose 4.9% to $206.81, an increase of nearly $10 each way."

FULL story at link.

[quadrature]

3. when NWA mechanics went on strike ...

the FAs ran past the picket line as fast as they could.

is this bunch any better?