NYCAAer

Some See a Dirty Deal at Southwest Airlines
Houston Chronicle
May 29, 2003 9:44 pm
Bill Hensel Jr.

Those usually cheerful flight attendants at Southwest Airlines say they are the lowest-paid attendants in the industry, and they flat don't like it.

The union representing flight attendants at Southwest, the low-fare carrier long known for upbeat customer service, held a demonstration Thursday at Hobby Airport to draw attention to working conditions.

The protest by the Transport Workers Union of America Local 556 comes as the union is about to get down to negotiating pay with the Dallas-based carrier.

One of the issues the union members want addressed is their desire to be paid for all the time they work.

They contend that one of the reasons Southwest's operating costs are so low is that flight attendants are used to clean the planes between flights. Most airlines use cleaning crews.

"We deserve a raise because we are the lowest-paid flight attendants in the industry," Southwest flight attendant Jill Vanderwerff of Houston said with a smile. "And we clean the aircraft for free."

Southwest said it could not address specific issues that are under negotiation.

The median pay for Southwest flight attendants is about $24,600, according to Kevin Onstead, an Oakland-based employee who once worked as a certified public accountant. That is about 20% lower than the industry as a whole, he said.