"The letter was printed in its entirety as written and not authorized by AFA. It is to demonstrate that this AFA member took the time to make her voice heard. You have a voice, Make it heard."

March 16, 1999

Dear Mr. Gangwal,

I've been told that you are a good businessman, a fair individual, and most especially a man that respects your employees. I am a 22 year flight attendant who has been with this company my entire career. I'm writing to you today to share with you some of my impressions about the employees and our relationship with our company.

I just returned home from a three day trip that provided me with quite a bit of time between flights. Much of this time is spent at crew bases other than my own. On the line, this is sarcastically known as "productivity time". It is not a rare occurrence, as most every trip has productivity time built into it, leaving many of us wondering why our time is being managed so poorly. However, this dead time has given me plenty of opportunity to talk to many of my fellow employees.

I have never seen morale so low among not only flight attendants but every employee group I've come in contact with. Things were not this bleak when our management was hemorrhaging money and our stock was as low as $6.00 per share. At that time the poor attitude was almost understandable. We were all afraid that USAir wouldn't survive. We had all taken concessions, only to see that money mismanaged as well, and we couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

When our new management was put into place you breathed new life into us and as a group we began working together again to be the best . We believed in you and thought that you believed in us as well. It was certainly refreshing to feel as though we were once again considered valuable to the overall health and success of USAirways. I no longer feel that way. Though we are constantly told that as flight attendants we are in large part responsible for the phenomenal recent success of our company, as we spend the most time with the passengers, or that we have helped to make us the airline of choice, I believe that if management truly felt that way our efforts would be rewarded in a more beneficial manner. Platitudes and compliments only go so far in a time of record profits. And management is refusing to recognize that their costs aren't the only ones going up.

For years flight attendants were told that we must roll our contracts over to help our company grow, and for years we did just that. Though I have seen a considerable increase in the Company's fortunes, I have seen none in mine. When we say we need you to remove the Social Security offset from our pension, you offer us a corporate feel good program called Impressions of Excellence. When we tell you that we want a raise in our pay that isn't tied to a concession, you tell us that if you could come up with a raise that didn't entail the raising of ticket prices you would do so. You've tried patting, us on the head and being complimentary. You've tried corporate seminars, you've delivered wan responses. You've tried everything except what would actually work. A fair & equitable contract that considers the needs of loyal hard working employees.

Frankly, it's rather frightening to see my fellow employees becoming ecstatic as they watch the pilots at American airlines do what our pilots didn't have the backbone to do. I constantly hear that " I won't give anything back!" when talking about stalled contract negotiations. Because the general consensus is that that's exactly what is going to be asked of us. Again.

Flight Attendants have become the "Corporate Cookie Jar". Every time you go past you poke your hand in and take just a little bit more from us. First we lost the 15 minutes after a trip blocked in. Then we lost the fourth F/A on most of our equipment. And coverage of the D position or extra position is still spotty and arbitrary in the extreme. We lost duty rigs, leaving, us wide open for the ever increasing "productivity time". We find ourselves sitting for hours at cities throughout the system being productive to no one. We've lost the right to claim trips missed for vacation which cost the flight attendants dearly in time off as well as money lost. We had our medical insurance changed to Health America, then recently changed again so that we pay more for the substandard coverage that Health America provides. The same goes for our dental program, and I'm assuming that my company puts no value on my eyesight as that's not even mentioned. We've been moved into hotels and motels and motor lodges in areas that are dangerous and frightening,. Where muggings, roaches, and rodents are commonplace. We have a 401-k plan to which my company doesn't contribute . I have a pension which contains a Social Security Offset as well as a family offset. And we're dealing with our sub-standard pensions at a time when it costs USAirways more to fund the pilots pension plan in one year than it does to pay the yearly wages of every flight attendant on all of our properties. Each and every one of my losses become a gain in the corporate Piggy bank. We're the best bargain you've got!

In 1986 we rolled our contract over at the urging of management so that the company could grow. We were promised by the company at that time that when they became profitable our sacrifices would be recognized in the form of enhanced compensation.

In 1986, a thirteen year flight attendant was topped out at $35.74 per hour. In 1988 a topped out flight attendant earned $36.81. In 1993 we reverted back to 1986 standards of $35.74 per hour for a 13 year flight attendant. In 1994 we gained an additional year before topping out, at which time the highest paid flight attendant made 37.94 per hour. Today a career flight attendant with 14 years or more earns $41.02 per hour. In thirteen years time we have had under 12% in pay increases. Considering the rise in inflation each year, we would need over 37% in pay increases just to take us to where we were thirteen years ago. That doesn't take into consideration the losses I outlined earlier in this letter. I'm fully aware that I'm, not telling you anything you don't already know. I think it imperative that you are aware that We Know.

We've been called upon to pull together to make USAir-ways the "Airline of Choice", and I see my fellow employees struggling daily to do just that. But it's so very difficult to do when we are under-appreciated, underpaid, utilized poorly, and in many cases, short staffed. We hold out hope for a "Contract of Choice" because quite frankly we've earned it. Though much of what we have lost happened before you joined our company, that legacy of loss has been inherited by you as management , just as the success of our company has been accredited to you.

We have become successful not only because of our new management but because of the incredible efforts of all of the employees of this company. It frightens me to see employee morale become so dismal. Our company cannot continue to excel unless the employees work to that end. As an A-scale flight attendant, I often feel as though management considers me a drain on the company rather than the valuable asset I know myself to be. Twenty two years ago I was made aware that this career choice would make demands on me that another job would not. Holidays and family time would often take a back seat to 3 day trips and inclement weather. I accepted that challenge and have met it. But 22 years ago I was paid fairly for those sacrifices. Since my 14th year my pay has stayed the same while everything in the world has gone up, and I find myself asking if the career choice I made has been worthwhile. I cannot in good conscience continue to sacrifice my time, talents, and credit rating, and most especially my family's security to ensure that USAirways continues to become more profitable, when it's evident that management refuses to give me the same consideration.

At a time when our goal is to become the airline of choice, my goal is to receive the contract of choice. I'll work doggedly toward that end. I'll settle for no less and I'm worth it. It's always been my heartfelt belief that a happy employee is a good employee and my experience has proven that . I'm afraid that management doesn't share that philosophy. You've demanded excellence from the flight attendants, and you've received it. I'd like to see that record of excellence continue.

I would like you to consider this as a personal request to work together with us to see that we all succeed.

As busy as you are Mr. Gangwal, I would appreciate a response to my concerns and I thank you ahead of time for that response.

In Solidarity,
Pamela A. Hook
PIT F/A #09644