August 29, 2002
Contact: Joe Burns, 202-369-0143 (cell)
Jeff Zack, 202-712-9740
 
 
Midwest Express Flight Attendants Hold Candlelight Vigil at Strike Deadline

Negotiations to Avert a Strike Continue in Washington, DC

CHAOS™ Strike Date: Aug. 30

Candlelight Vigil:
Aug. 29 - 8:00 p.m. - 12 midnight (strike deadline)
Milwaukee Airport
(Howell Ave. in front of airport)

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Flight attendants will conduct a candlelight vigil on Aug. 29 from 8:00 p.m. - 12 midnight on Howell Ave. in front of the Milwaukee Airport to express their hope that contract negotiations produce an agreement, and to show their solidarity if negotiations break down and CHAOS™ strikes become necessary at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 30.

"Super mediation" continues at the offices of the National Mediation Board in Washington, DC. The federally mediated talks are a last attempt to reach an agreement between Midwest Express and its flight attendants before the "cooling-off" period expires on Aug. 30.

The two and a half year-old negotiations broke down last month. Midwest Express flight attendants haven't had a raise in three years and airline management has proposed that they wait another year for an increase. The company's proposal also lacks any contractually guaranteed pension or health insurance.

If no agreement is reached by 12:01 a.m. Aug. 30, the parties are free to engage in "self-help." For AFA flight attendants, that means CHAOS strikes. CHAOS stands for Create Havoc Around Our System™ and is a strike action that allows flight attendants to control the airline's schedule and operations. Flight attendants may stage a mass walkout for a day or a week or strike individual flights -- with no warning to management or passengers.

For more information on the Midwest Express negotiations, visit http://www.afanet.org/ME .

Midwest Express' 440 flight attendants are joined together in AFA, the world's largest flight attendant union. Visit at http://www.afanet.org  .

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