AFA Announces United Flight Attendants Elect Militant Leadership

Business Wire, April 4, 2008

CHICAGO -- With an eye toward their critical upcoming contract negotiations, United Airlines flight attendant union leaders for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) this week elected a slate of officers with a reputation as tough and militant negotiators. The 14 AFA-CWA Local Council Presidents who form the Union's United Master Executive Council (MEC) re-elected Greg Davidowitch as President; Linda Farrow as Vice President; and, Jeff Heisey as Secretary-Treasurer. Their bios are below:

Greg Davidowitch, MEC President - Mr. Davidowitch, a hard-working AFA-CWA activist from New York, is embarking on his third full term as MEC President with the unanimous support of his peers. Davidowitch served as the United Flight Attendants' representative on the Creditors Committee during the bankruptcy, and led the Union's fight against the concessions management sought from Flight Attendants and retirees during negotiations under Section 1113 and 1114 of the Bankruptcy Code. Under his leadership AFA-CWA was consistently opposed management bonuses, executive compensation packages and other management excesses in bankruptcy. At the same time he led the Union in its fight against termination of the Flight Attendants' pension. Under his leadership the Union held out to become the last among United's unions to settle, seeking improved terms and ultimately achieving a replacement retirement plan valued at twice what management had offered after terminating their pension plan through the bankruptcy court.

Linda Farrow, MEC Vice-President - Ms. Farrow, a long-time Union leader from Los Angeles, has extensive experience in negotiations and led her Los Angeles local during the 1985 strike by United pilots, when the United Flight Attendants struck for 29 days in support of the pilots' contract dispute. Ms. Farrow was also MEC President at the time of the announced merger between United and US Airways, leading the Union in threatening a CHAOS[TM] strike by United Flight Attendants if United management carried out plans to unilaterally change their collective bargaining agreement in order to effectuate the merger. That merger was soon called off due, in large part, to opposition from the Flight Attendants and other employees.

Jeff Heisey, MEC Secretary-Treasurer - Mr. Heisey, a Flight Attendant scheduling expert and union activist previously served as CHAOS Strike Co-Coordinator when the United Flight Attendants launched a strike threat in response to unilateral changes to their contract in bankruptcy. Mr. Heisey was instrumental in building a global network of Union members prepared to strike.

More than 55,000 Flight Attendants, including the 17,000 Flight Attendants at United, join together to form AFA, the world's largest Flight Attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000 member strong Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.unitedafa.org.