Teamsters and TWU Stand in Solidarity With British Airways Cabin Crews

Unions Concerned About Passenger Safety Compromises

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2010 - Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa and Transport Workers Union
President James C. Little issued the following statement today regarding the
March 17 meeting with Steve Turner, National Secretary of Civil Air Transport
of Unite the Union (www.tgwu.org.uk), the British labor union
representing the British Airways cabin crews:

(Logo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO)

"We are very grateful that Unite accepted our invitation to send a
representative here to brief us on the dispute between British Airways and
its employees. Steve Turner has provided us a very thorough briefing on the
dispute and the history of the problems with British Airways and the union's
efforts to work with management to find common ground.

"We are very proud of the long history of mutual support between Unite,
the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Transport Workers Union.
We greatly appreciate our friendship with Unite General Secretary Tony
Woodley. Over the years, Unite, the Teamsters and the Transport Workers Union
have worked closely to support each other, especially in this time of rapid
globalization.

"It is very clear that British Airways CEO Willie Walsh is provoking this
strike through a policy of abuse towards his employees, especially union
activists. His contract proposals are designed to intimidate and frighten
British Airways employees. We are greatly concerned that passenger safety
will be seriously compromised if Walsh tries to operate with unlicensed,
untrained and inexperienced crews. We recommend flyers seek alternatives
during the strike.

"What is occurring at British Airways is not a simple labor dispute. The
actions of Mr. Walsh and the ongoing abuse directed at the traveling public
and loyal employees of this great airline, speaks volumes. By putting
substandard proposals on the table and then removing them before they can be
voted on shows the total disregard he maintains for the employees and
customers of British Airways.

"Unite has exceeded the standard of not only negotiating, but presenting
specific cost savings proposals to Mr. Walsh to help British Airways in these
very difficult economic times. Sadly, these proposals were rejected. They
were rejected because of one man's bias and obsession with breaking a labor
union.

"We are keenly aware of British Airways' operations in the United States
and the cities served by the airline. We continue to look at this situation
as it evolves and are keeping our options open."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
(www.teamster.org) represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in
the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The Transport Workers Union (www.twu.org) was founded in 1934 and
represents 200,000 men and women working in the transportation industry
throughout the United States.

Galen Munroe, +1-202-624-6911, gmunroe at teamster.org; or Jamie Horwitz, +1-202-549-4921, jhdcpr at starpower.net