Ray Wilson
Vice President
The “Before you step onto an airplane make sure you know where it’s maintained.” “T” Shirts that we have been wearing in an effort to help the company understand our position on outsourcing has become very popular. We wanted to be sure that the company understood our position. Our goal has been met.
Erik D. Olund, Managing Director -Base Maintenance, has sent a letter out to all Leaders with instructions on how to handle this situation:
Politely and professionally ask the team member to remove the shirt and place on another shirt. If the team member has no other clothing readily available, then please ask him/her to turn the offensive T-shirt inside out. Should a team member refuse to remove/replace or turn the T-shirt inside out, ask him/her again, and remind them of the Company’s policy prohibiting wearing any offensive clothing.
We do understand that these shirts could be taken as “offensive”. It was our intent to get our point across. We are also “offended” that this same company we worked tirelessly to keep out of bankruptcy, the same company that we produced the best maintained fleet of commercial airlines in the USA, would now want to take our work out of the United States.
Yes, in my opinion, this is very offensive.
To those that have these shirts, we ask that you refrain from wearing them at the base, where being offended by words on a shirt could get you terminated. But taking our work to other parts of the world is just business.
In Solidarity,
Ray Wilson
Vice President
Transport Workers Union Local 514