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"We have to weed
them out, 'cause we're going to get stuck with them you know."
- One trainer to another - during my
initial training with Nationair in April 1987, referring to to the
trainees.
The Crash
"...at least we finally got
rid of ______ and ______."
-Celine Dupere (July 1991) - then Manager of Inflight
Services - regarding the deaths of two Toronto-based flight attendants
in the Jeddah crash. (The names have been removed at the request of
their families)
"...stop acting like a dog
licking it's wounds"
-George Tchoryk - Management, in a letter to traumatized
Flight Attendants who were in Jeddah at the time of the crash and
having personal difficulties as a result.
"Well they never finished
the flight did they?"
-Jean Thibodeau -former FA/union rep turned management,
explaining why the company felt they didn't have to pay the estates
of the deceased for the flight they died on. Disregarding a Collective
Agreement contract that stipulated a minimum 4 hours pay credit for
every flight. Now an "HR Director"
somewhere.
"It wasn't the company's fault!"
-Mary Pollock - former FA turned management
- immediately after the crash, before any facts were known.
Now works with the Ministry of Transport in Canada, ensuring the safety
of the travelling public.
"There was debris
on the runway"
-President Robert Obadia immediately after
the crash, trying to clear the company of any blame.Ultimately, the
aircraft was found to have been unairworthy for several days before
the crash, and maintenance documents falsified.
"They found __________'s
body today."
-Val Voss - Toronto Management to an upset
crew member about crash victim recovery status, just before her flight
briefing. Note that not answering a question to the IFD's satisfaction
during a flight briefing could get you removed from the flight without
pay and disciplined. She also felt the need to share how recovery
personnel could identify the remains of crew members.
"The Nationair
report released in February showed evidence of a problem plagued airline
and inept inspection which Transport Canada attempted to cover up."
-Ken
Rubin - In an article about the sorry state of the Freedom of
Information Act
The Lockout
"You're never coming
back!"
- Mitzi Frial - SCAB, to flight attendants
walking the picket line during the lockout
"You
told me they were never coming back!"
- Mitzi Frial - SCAB, to Val Voss after
hearing that the lockout was going to be settled
"I'd really appreciate
it if you didn't picket our Christmas party."
- Toronto management Pat Casserly who called
and ask that we not picket the party, about a month into the lockout
"So this is the thanks I get after all the things I did for
you after the crash?"
- Toronto management Pat Casserly after
we told him he did not determine picket locations
"Well this is really between you and the
company. We don't want to get involved."
- Representative of the pilots "association"
when he called us during the lockout, and we asked for the support
of the pilot group.
Life
on the line
"You know, I worked
at Odyssey for two years and never really had to put any emergency
training to work...I've been here two months, and I don't think
there's been a flight where something hasn't gone wrong."
- Ex-Odyssey International Flight Attendant on
the difference between the two carriers. Sadly, this same Flight
Attendant died in the Jeddah crash on July 11, 1991..
"I just can't do
the things they want me to do to you guys."
- A base manager, explaining why they were
resigning.
"So you are
refusing the flight???!"
-Crew scheduling, in response to my informing
them that 30 minutes did not give me alot of time to shower, get
dressed and drive 40 minutes to the airport before the flight left.
(They'd known they were going to be short staffed 2.5 hours prior)
"Are you guys taking
an exam or something?"
- Air France Flight Attendant to us after
witnessing one of our pre-flight "briefings"
"It doesn't concern you.
Just prepare for an emergency landing."
-In Flight Director Robert Cheung to the Purser
(next in Charge after him) replying to an inquiry about an in-flight
announcement in which the only audible word was "emergency"
because the PA was up to it's usual poor quality.
"Oh my god,
we're going to die!"
-Passenger on that same flight
"...Unfortunately, most of us used to think that the maintenance
of your aircraft would never improve until one of them crashed
and people were killed. Well, sorry to say, that not even that
has 'helped'."
"...the movies and audio on DJC were inoperative, as were
several lavs. The stench from the lavs at 3L and 3R alone was
disgusting. None of any of this was fixed at any point during
the (9 day) pairing, in fact, by the time we had DJC for the trip
home, there were no movies, audio, reading lights, 5 lavs were
blocked off, couldn't offer much in the way of duty free or bar
to our passengers, very little supplies in the lavs, had to carry
garbage through the cabin as the garbage container at Galley 4
was 'missing'."
"....The interphones on (aircraft #) N303 haven't worked
since before the fire in Gatwick last year. Yes, I know that MOT
says that they aren't a 'vital' piece of equipment, but when I
have to run up and try 8 handsets to get a message to the Captain
that a door won't arm, it becomes a safety problem.
The complaint we get from Maintenance when we ask them why things
like this occur, is that no-one wants to spend the money on parts."
-From a letter written to Nationair President
by a Toronto-based Purser regarding problems encountered on a
daily basis at Nationair, and prompted by a series of flights
on one particular 747 in the summer of 1991. The 4 page letter
went unanswered.
"We were short of
bar, no headsets because not even one section is working, therefore
no movie! Up to five lavs were inoperative, no sprays for the stinking
lavs, inoperative passenger reading lights (so they are either all
on, or all off), etc. ...... stop telling us that, this or that
doesn't look professional, the way we work, the way we sit, the
way we do our hair, etc. Do your jobs properly and we'll do ours!
Fix these aircraft once and for all."
- A plea from an emotional letter written
to Nationair President by a Toronto-based Flight Attendant regarding
maintenance problems on the same series of flights on a 747. Wardairs
old aircraft (DJC). The Purser and FA had worked the same flights
that prompted the 2 letters.
Maintenance
Related
"The door seal in the back
is leaking."
"Did you stick a blanket in it?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"The blanket got sucked out."
"What's that noise?"
"That's the door."
-Conversation between myself and
a fellow FA regarding a door seal leak that was eventually taped
up with a plastic garbage bag by the Flight Engineer...and made
the Toronto papers.
"By
"parts" do you mean speed tape?"
-Mechanic commenting on the shortage of real parts
for aircraft fixes
"Hang
on, I've got a wrench in my purse."
-Flight Attendant getting ready to fix
the coffee machine
"What will it take before
anyone will do anything about stuff like this? Does one of our airplanes
have to fall out of the sky?"
"Unfortunately, yes, that is probably the case"
-Conversation between myself and someone from
the Confidential Aviation Safety Reporting Program, spurred on by
smoke detectors in the lavs that didn't work...for months
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Quotes
