A Flight Attendant Feels Sweet Victory after Being Interrogated About Her Political Views

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant celebrates winning $5.3 Million from a Texas District Court.

Charlene was fired by 2017. She had written an angry letter complaining to her union boss that dues were being used to pay for a dozen flight attendants to the Women’s March in that year’s left-leaning, anti-abortion event. Carter was a Christian devout and did not like her money being used for something that she disagreed with. She was then fired because she spoke out against the union leaders.

Half A decade later, after being fired for pro-life beliefs, she was awarded $4. 15 Million from Southwest Airlines, and $1. 15 millions from her ex-union.

The jury in the U.S. District Court case found that the Dallas-based airline and the flight attendants’ union, Transport Workers Union Local 556, violated her rights as a worker to advocate against her union. Southwest Airlines was ordered to pay $4. 15 millions in back pay and pain and suffering. The jury also recommended that she be paid an additional $1 by the union. 15 million.

Charlene was fired by TWU Local 556 President Audrey Stone in March 2017. Stone called Carter “despicable” after sending a series of threatening emails calling Audrey Stone “despicable” for her attendance at the Women’s march in Washington, D.C., in the year ,, according to the lawsuit.

The first thing I asked when I first saw the report was “Why would this union send anyone to the Women’s march in the first instance?” It has nothing to do with flying as a pilot. And why would you even consider exposing yourself to internal divisions over this matter. Corporations are more likely to get involved with politics than their customers, or in this instance, their employees. It is not difficult to focus solely on the actual mission of the company.

The reputation of Southwest Airlines has been tarnished more than any other major company in the past few years. Southwest, once known for being the “fun” and “different airline, is now in the same group as everyone else. The union boss’s retaliation tactic that eventually led to Carter’s termination was not something they should have accepted.

To sum it all, corporations who refuse to follow the crowd and get involved in politics will face increasing resistance. Carter wouldn’t have filed her complaint if the union had not remained neutral on this sensitive matter. She had every right to challenge her leadership if they did not. Their rash decision not to fire her cost the union and its members millions. I have a response. Good.

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