Flight attendants' union urges contract ratification CHICAGO (AP) =97 The flight attendants' union at United Airlines urged=20 members to ratify a contract agreement calling for 9% pay cuts and other=20 concessions to help rescue the carrier from its "financial quagmire." Union= =20 president Greg Davidowitch said Wednesday the negotiated changes, while=20 painful, are better than those that United would otherwise impose in=20 bankruptcy court on May 1. The tentative accord would cut United's costs by= =20 about $300 million annually through 2008. Pilots, baggage handlers, public= =20 contact workers and flight dispatchers also are voting this month on=20 contract agreements, and United is negotiating with the mechanics' union,=20 the lone holdout. "The burden of sacrifices being placed on United flight=20 attendants through this tentative agreement is extensive," he said. But,=20 noting that some work rules and benefits have been preserved, he said the=20 consensual agreement will provide protection court-imposed changes would=20 not. Despite sacrifices already made, including 9% interim pay cuts, "our=20 company is still in a financial quagmire," he said in a recorded message=20 for flight attendants. The master executive council of the Association of=20 Flight Attendants' United branch on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the=20 agreement reached by negotiators last week. United's more than 18,000=20 flight attendants will vote on the contract beginning April 16, with=20 ballots to be counted April 29. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.carstt.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************