Union says it will fight attendants’ relocation

Thursday, June 5, 2003 | 11:22 a.m.

A union is fighting a plan by United Airlines to close its flight-attendant base in Las Vegas at the end of August. The shutdown would force 222 people to relocate, face long commutes or leave the company.

The Elk Grove Township, Ill.-based airline, operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, said the move is a cost-cutting measure. The company gave local employees a three-month notice of its intent to close its McCarran International Airport domicile this week, saying the action would be effective Aug. 31.

A spokesman for United confirmed the closure Wednesday and said affected employees would receive assistance from the company to relocate to another base. The closest flight-attendant bases are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver and Seattle.

Jason Schechter said United is not releasing a dollar figure for how much the company would save with the base closure.

"This is part of United's ongoing efforts to cut costs," Schechter said. "We're also planning to match our work force more closely with our schedule."

He said United has no plans to reduce flights in the Las Vegas market and that the company is working with the flight attendants' union -- the Association of Flight Attendants AFL-CIO -- to explore options with flight scheduling to help workers who would be based elsewhere but remain in Las Vegas.

The president of the Las Vegas council of AFA was bitter about the decision.

"This is just wrong," said MaryAnn Houser, the local union leader for United's flight attendants. "There's no justification for this decision."

The president of the union's executive council said in a letter to Las Vegas flight attendants that union officials are working with the airline to convince decision-makers to change their minds.

"AFA is committed to doing everything it can to protect your individual and our collective best interests at this critical time," said Greg Davidowitch, president of the AFA's United master executive council in the letter.

United has 19 flight-attendant bases worldwide and 13 in the United States. The announcement of the closure of the Las Vegas base was made at the same time the company announced the closure of a base in Philadelphia, where between 200 and 300 workers would be affected.