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JUL 01 - Flight Attendants really do want to meet uniform standards while looking and feeling our best. That’s not the issue here.
Earlier this week, Inflight communicated an upcoming uniform compliance check program. We were reminded of the fact we are the face of our airline for all things safety and service. Unfortunately, we’re also the face of missing catering items and waiting at the airport to find out where our missing hotel information is, among many other things.
We were reminded of United’s efforts to create a more inclusive culture, enabling employees to look and feel their best while at work. Our Union has always been at the forefront of inclusivity, that’s not a new effort for us, and we support any effort in that direction. Furthermore, Flight Attendants really do want to meet uniform standards while looking and feeling our best. That’s not the issue here.
It's no secret that Flight Attendants have experienced challenges obtaining uniform items. From a deficit in the availability of uniform items for current Flight Attendants to our new-hire Flight Attendants not being provided a full complement of uniform items at graduation and, in some cases, ended up having to borrow from closets in Inflight or obtain uniform items from other than the expected company supply chain.
Considering all of the other challenges we are facing on a daily basis in the height of one of the busiest periods of travel, the timing of this initiative is poor and suggests a management disconnect exists on the pulse of the Flight Attendant group.
We ask management to consider that the energy and resources being put into the uniform checks by local base management, during the “height of our travel season,” might not be put to better use.
While everyone loves a good fun prize or a drawing, what we want now is operational support and a focus on improving the working and quality of life conditions for our Flight Attendant community.
Might it not be put to better use having management help resolve real-time and immediate issues we’ve more than clearly identified. Just to name a few, have local base management:
- Help find hotels for crews stuck in an airport waiting for information
- Work with catering to be sure we have the supplies we need ahead of departure time
- Making real-time decisions in the moment to release Flight Attendants who have been on hold an excessive amount of time with the crew desk
As management recognizes our hard work, Flight Attendants look forward to the time when we can be excited by management’s hard work on resolving our immediate issues while allowing us to be rested, respected, and well-dressed!