PALEA 300 moves for the dismissal of PAL harassment case

Press Release

February 2, 2012

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) will move today for the dismissal of the case filed by the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) for alleged violation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines law arising from the September 27 protest at the ManilaInternational Airport.

Hundreds of PALEA members also held a rally this afternoon at the Pasay Hall of Justice to coincide with the court hearing on what the union describes as a “harassment case” by PAL regarding supposed destruction of equipment during the airport protest.

“It behooves the court to dismiss this apparent harassment case because of a fatal flaw. PAL’s lawyers do not have any clearance from the Department of Labor and Employment in filing the case. Any complaint arising from a labor dispute requires such a clearance before civil courts can take jurisdiction,” asserted Gerry Rivera, PALEA president.

Last January 11, the 258 PALEA members who are respondents to the case, appeared at the Pasay regional trial court for the first hearing. The respondents are called PALEA 300 sincePAL in previous press releases has claimed that some 300 PALEA members joined the September 27 protest. The next hearing is scheduled for February 9. In an allusion to the mythical Spartans, Rivera declared that “The respondents to the case, the PALEA 300 are brave men and women who will die fighting instead of surrendering to tyranny by PAL.”

He claimed that “PAL is blindly shooting nuisance cases at PALEA members in a desperate bid to force them to accept the separation package and sign up for the illegal labor contractors Sky Logistics and Sky Kitchen.”

Rivera asserts further that PAL services deteriorated sharply after September not because of damaged equipments but due to lack of skilled and experienced manpower after PALEA members, in opposition to outsourcing, refused to transfer to assigned service providers.

PALEA insists that PAL’s waning reputation and deteriorating quality service can only be saved by getting its regular workers back. Supporters of PALEA are calling for a boycott of PAL and its sister company Air Philippines until the laid off workers are reinstated to their regular jobs.

On Monday, hundreds of PALEA members will join retrenched flights attendants of PAL in a rally at the impeachment trial since the president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association is expected to testify for the prosecution.

Blacklisted PALEA member returns from US, rejoins protest

Press Release
November 12, 2011
PALEA

 A member of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) who was refused boarding by Philippine Airlines (PAL) for allegedly being on a “blacklist” of protesting employees, returned from the United States today and vowed to rejoin the fight against contractualization. Belle Savellano and her family arrived from Taipei on an Eva Airways flight around noon today. Last November 6, PAL denied to fly Savellano and six members of her family despite holding tickets for the Los Angeles-Manila flight.

“It is good to be back home even after the petty persecution I experienced at the hands of PAL. My husband and children who should have been at work and school early this week, and even my 80-year mother suffered from PAL’s harassment of its protesting employees,” stated Savellano.

 Meanwhile PALEA welcomed Savellano back to the protest. “Belle will be warmly received by her PALEA colleagues in the protest camp. Unfortunately, further harassment awaits Belle as the threat to disperse the campout continues to this day. A few days ago, PAL filed criminal charges against the PALEA 41 just to bully them into accepting the separation package and applying as contractuals in the service providers,” said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Yesterday the PALEA campout was the scene of renewed tension as a firetruck and scores of police accompanied a shuttle bus of PAL that went inside the In-Flight Center (IFC). But no untoward incident happened as PALEA members simply watched the bus arrive and depart from the compound.

 PALEA has been questioning PAL’s insistence in operating the IFC since its in-flight catering and airport services have already been closed down. Rivera asserts that “Evidently PAL will allow Sky Logistics and Sky Kitchen use of the IFC which means the service providers are nothing but illegal labor-only contractors.”

 Representatives from PM-USA and Filipino-American groups BANTAY Pilipinas-Los Angeles, Alliance Philippines and Echo Park Community Coalition earlier called on the public especially Filipino-Americans to boycott PAL as the groups condemned the harassment tactics of the company against PALEA members.

 Savellano, a PALEA member who worked for PAL for more than 28 years, is one of some 2,400 employees locked out after PALEA’s protest last September 27. Savellano and family flew to the US on October 19 to visit their relatives in San Diego using her employee travel benefit that was approved before the lock out. On October 23, PAL issued a memo that renders Savellano’s return ticket useless.

 The Fil-Am groups vowed to increase its efforts to campaign for the boycott of PAL until the flag carrier has heeded the demands of PALEA for the return to their regular jobs. They believe that the fight against corporate greed is exemplified in the struggle of PALEA. They jointly declared that “The oppression of PALEA is a reflection of the plight of ordinary workers all over the world. We have to fight back as we are all PALEAns!”

ANTONIO ENERO STORY

Shared by Jeng Senga, PALEAn

I went to Mr. Antonio's wake yesterday afternoon at Filipinas Funeral in Las Pinas. Mr. Enero as we call him in the office as "January". He was under my supervision at Baggage Sorting Area for almost 2 years. He is a father of 2. His youngest daughter is about 5 years old. He is a quiet person, hardworking and one person i can rely on during flight disruptions. According to his wife, January was confined at Cardinal Santos Hospital days before September 27 due to Leukemia. On that day when Pal management dispersed our fellow Paleans who were present at that time at the airport. January heard about it and saw it on the news the next day and he told his wife "Irene, kung wala lang akong sakit nandyan din ako sa picket line, kasama mga kapwa ko PALEANS".


Morning of Sept. 30, his doctors and nurses at Cardinal Santos told him and Irene that someone called from PAL HR office advising that "January is already terminated from work so as his medical benefits, and if they want to continue his medications and confinement, they have to pay on their own and the company will not shoulder the expenses anymore". January badly needed 14 anti-biotic shots for 7 days. 1 shot of antibiotic is worth 5,000php. They only had given him 2 shots. Irene was crying because they dont have money to pay for the confinement and medications from Sept. 30 onwards, so they were forced to leave the hospital on Sept.30, 12noon cut-off time. 

January became weaker and weaker because his medications were stopped. After 4 days upon release at Cardinal Santos Hospital, he was confined at Perpetual Help Las Pinas. They had to do all the tests again as well as the antibiotic. Irene was so worried about the expenses and told her husband to get the separation pay so they can pay the hospital bills and medications. January said "Hindi, LABAN PA RIN TAYO, mangungutang na lang tayo"!. As January was lying on his hospital bed, he heard over the news that FASAP won the case. He clapped and said "IRENE, TINGNAN MO NANALO ANG FASAP! IBIG SABIHIN MANANALO DIN ANG PALEA"! Irene told me "Mam, nung napanood nya yung news na yun nabuhayan sya ng loob at nakita ko yung saya sa mukha nya"! kaya mam sabi ko sa asawa ko "o sige pagaling ka para makapunta ka sa picket line". Palagi nya nga pong hinihintay ang news about PALEA case gusto nya makita yung mga kasamahan nya sa baggage. 

The wife notices everyday he is getting weaker and January was worried where they will get the money to pay for the hospital bills at the same time worried about pal-palea labor dispute. But due to huge amount of hospital bills they both decided to avail of the separation pay. The next day, January complained about this pain on his upper nose and seems like a blood clot. So he was immediately brought to ICU and was given 72hours to live. Irene got the separation pay on Oct 15th, January died Oct 16. Irene was shaking yesterday when she told me " Ma'm, alam mo kung hindi kami pinaalis sa Cardinal Santos at nagtuloy tuloy ang antibiotic nya, sana nakasama pa namin sya ng mas matagal"... RIP MR. ANTONIO ENERO! YOU WILL BE MISSED BY PALEANS!

PALEA member in Los Angeles cry harassment by PAL, PM-USA vows support

Press Release

November 10, 2011

A member of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) is crying harassment by Philippine Airlines (PAL) for being refused boarding on a flight back to Manila from Los Angeles. Belle Savellano, PALEA members and PAL employee for 28 years, was not allowed to board the PAL LAX-MNL flight last November 6 for being allegedly on “blacklist of PALEA members.”

[Link to video clip of LAX incident: http://youtu.be/VakfsiiQtjg]

“We need to go back to the Philippines since my husband should have gone back to work last November 8 and my children also should have started school on the same day. Also my 80-year mother wants to be reunited with her relatives. My family is suffering because of what PAL is doing,” Savellano explained.

Ian Seruelo, liaison officer of PM-USA who is assisting Savellano in her fight, asserted that“We believe this petty persecution is meant to force Savellano to accept the separation offer and sign up for the service provider which is desperately in need of skilled and experienced workers from PALEA. But Savellano refuses to be a scab and is one with the 2,000 PALEA members who have defied the outsourcing plan.”

Seruelo together with representatives of Filipino-American groups BANTAY Pilipinas-Los Angeles, Alliance Philippines and Echo Park Community Coalition accompanied Savellano to theLos Angeles airport last Sunday. The groups also issued an appeal for Filipino-Americans to boycott PAL.

Savellano and family flew to the US on October 19 to visit their relatives in San Diego using her employee travel benefit that was approved before the lock out. On October 23, PAL supposedly issued an “internal memo” that renders Savellano’s return ticket useless.

“We condemn the violence and other harassment tactics employed by PAL against PALEA. Last October 29, goons hired by PAL attacked the PALEA protest camp. Now, PAL issued a memo unjustly rescinding the earned travel benefits of these employees. Clearly all of these are meant to harass protesting workers. We call on the public to continue supporting the struggle of PALEA for decent jobs,” Seruelo insisted.

The Fil-Am groups vowed to increase its efforts to campaign for the boycott of PAL until the flag carrier has heeded the demands of PALEA for the return to their regular jobs. They believe that the fight against corporate greed is exemplified in the struggle of PALEA. They jointly declared that “The oppression of PALEA is a reflection of the plight of ordinary workers all over the world. We have to fight back as we are all PALEAns!”