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Pushback: Flight attendant fired for having opinions wins big against airline and union

Southwest: Enemy to free speech

Bring a gun to a knife fight: Charlene Carter, a flight attendant who had worked at Southwest Airlines for 20 years but was fired in 2017 because she had publicly opposed the use of her union dues to fund pro-abortion protests, has now won a $5.1 million lawsuit against both Southwest and her union.

A jury in a Dallas federal district court handed down the verdict, ruling Charlene Carter had been fired for her religious stance on abortion, which she shared to social media, and that her termination was in violation of her right to advocate against her union.

If it stands, Carter could collect $4.15 million from Southwest and $950,000 from Local 556 of the Transport Workers Union, mostly in punitive damages.


Carter had sent blunt Facebook messages to Audrey Stone, the head of the union, criticizing its pro-abortion stance and its apparent use of union funds to send flight attendants to a 2017 pro-abortion protest in Washington, D.C. Southwest decided expressing such opinions was unacceptable and fired her. The union agreed, doing nothing to support her as it is supposed to do.

Both Southwest and the Transport Workers Union intend to appeal. The airline insists Carter’s actions were “harassment” and violated company policies. The union meanwhile claimed the “jurors might’ve misunderstood the judge’s instructions and it also plans to appeal.”

I think the jurors understood this case quite clearly. They saw it as an example of the leftist corporate culture of Southwest teaming up with its leftist union to silence and blackball someone for daring to disagree. The jurors, as ordinary Americans, did not like this authoritarian and fascist behavior and decided to punish both.

Southwest and the union might still win, since on appeal the case has a good chance of getting heard by more members of our elitist leftist culture — this time wearing judge’s robes — who are now working hard and boldly to shut down all dissent, in all forms.

I used to be a big fan of Southwest, in the old days when its focus was to serve its customers with cheap, fast, and efficient airline transportation. That changed when this company became one of the first big corporations to require its passengers to wear masks in 2020, long before the federal government mandated it. In fact, the actions of a few big corporations like Southwest and Costco to mandate masks early on helped instigate the government mandates that followed. These corporate thugs normalized thuggish behavior, so that government officials felt more comfortable following suit.

When Southwest imposed its mask mandate I called the company and told it I will likely never fly on another Southwest plane, ever. And I have so far kept that promise.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

12 comments

  • Cotour

    How do we fight political warfare in America? Lawyers, Courts and Money.

    Related, its all related.

    FINALLY, THE ANSWER TO CRAZIES & CRIMINALS KILLING PEOPLE WITH GUNS HAS BEEN SOLVED!

    I thought the problem of crazy people or criminals indiscriminately shooting and killing people would never be solved, but it has been solved. And what do you know, the answer has been under everyone’s nose for the last 245 or so years.

    2A: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

    Elisjsha Dicken identified as man who killed Indiana mall shooter (jsonline.com)

    A rational, trained, normal, everyday American young man who was concealed carrying a gun in a mall where some nut decides that he is going to kill innocent people is stopped by that trained, normal, everyday American young man with a gun.

    There is only one answer to such situations, and what is that answer? “Gun control”. No, no, no, not gun control. Mentally ill and criminal people control. If someone who intends others harm has no fear of being stopped immediately by someone else who is legally armed, then they will do as they please and they will hold all of society hostage. And that is the exact result that those in the political class (D) want and intend with their knee jerk symbolic “Solutions”. They want YOU the normal everyday American controlled and not the nuts and criminals.

    Controlled to the point where you are dependent on them for your protection, and we all understand that that is not a supportable argument. The politically empowered for the most part are in real terms the enemy of your safety and freedom.

    Elisjsha Dicken, AMERICAN HERO! : https://youtu.be/SWV1KVPqpdc

  • Jay

    Funny, first thing I thought about the Southwest picture was “Enemy to Comfort”. Only flew with them once and that was enough.
    This poor woman flew with them for 20 years and only got $4 Million? That is a pittance for flying Cattle Class.

  • Jay: I am amused by your wild fantasy that other airlines are more comfortable. All are the same, a misery that one has to tolerate when flying. And I speak as a tall person who barely fits in any airplane seat.

    Southwest’s past glory was honest employees who made an effort to serve their customers. Their bosses apparently forgot that heritage in 2020.

  • Jay

    Bob,
    Yes, I know how it is since I am 6’5″. I mostly fly on Alaska in the exit row.

  • Bob Wilson

    I think she has a better chance in the fifth circuit, which covers Texas, than in circuits like the ninth, which covers Arizona and California and almost all the west. Carter is being represented by the national right to work foundation (NRWF) that has pretty deep pockets so I think she can fight it out in the courts. As an aside, she resigned from the union but was required to pay dues by Southwest. Another reason to boycott them.

  • RSR

    I’m not at all surprised about the Transport Workers Union not supporting her. I work in the airline industry and they used to represent my group until we voted them out. That union is corrupt to the core. Totally in bed with the Democratic party.

  • GWB

    Cotour
    July 20, 2022 at 12:36 pm
    There is only one answer to such situations, and what is that answer? “Gun control”.

    Absolutely right. That guy had fantastic gun control. 8/10 shots at 40 feet? That is great gun control!

  • Cotour

    No, that is 40 yards. And under extreme pressure. The Ohio governor should make a day to celebrate this young mans birth.

    This is a part of a conversation that I am having with one of my ridiculous friends who is a Democrat, hates Trump, destroy the economy and the country if it takes out Trump, and is unable to understand that everything that he defends that the Democrats say and do is actually counter to what he believes is good and true:

    My friend who responded to my piece on the hero in Ohio: “So you are saying that its a bad thing that this young man who removed this guy from killing possibly dozens or more innocent people in the first 15 seconds of his planned killing spree is a bad thing?

    Because that is what it sounds like to me.

    And once again I know your true answer and not your politically correct answer to this question.

    Guns exist, AR’s exist and when a nut or a criminal can get ahold of them, and they will, and the government seeks to pass laws that ONLY limit the ability of the law-abiding citizens from being able to properly protect themselves that is illogical and unreasonable. If a criminal or a nut knows they can go someplace where a no legal gun can be carried that is called his free to kill zone. If there is no degree of fear they can easily do what they please.

    And THAT is politics that cost good people their lives. (Its not the guns, its the people, the criminals, the nuts who choose to misuse them to kill innocent law-abiding people, your fellow Americans)

    So once again, its not the existence of guns that threatens good people, it is Nuts, criminals and your own government in the form of irrelevant pandering politicians that seeks to pass laws that only law abiding people follow. (Nuts and criminals do not by definition follow the law)

    Do you get it?”

    And he will not get it, he is a knee jerk Democrat jackass, just like Joe.

  • Cotour

    Just for entertainment purposes and a glimps into the mind of a Democrat drone:

    My friend responds to me with this letter he received from Adam Kinzinger:

    “Just a quick note to share that I hope you, and everyone in our country, tunes in TONIGHT at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT for a primetime hearing of the January 6th Committee. We’ll be focused on the 187 minutes that began when the President of the United States learned our Capitol was under attack by his supporters and ended with him releasing a video telling the mob he loved them. What was he doing? Who was he talking to? We’ll lay it all out tonight.

    And finally, I’m forwarding along below a Grassroots Update that went out to everyone engaged in our volunteer community. Whether you have the bandwidth to get more involved or not, I always find it encouraging to see ALL the activity going on, and wanted to spread that inspiration today.

    Back to hearing prep — see you tonight! Country First, Adam

    My response:

    “We’ll be focused on the 187 minutes that began when the President of the United States learned our Capitol was under attack by his supporters and ended with him releasing a video telling the mob he loved them. What was he doing? Who was he talking to? We’ll lay it all out tonight.”

    Trump told his supporters that “He loved them”. Well that certainly establishes that he is guilty of collusion and sedition, 100 %.

    Why is Trump the only politician in the country not allowed to have feelings or an opinion? Its called *POLITICS*, political warfare that the Constitution establishes and politics, which is how the war is fought. Trump did nothing illegal except to have extreme concerns that he was robbed by the better organized Democrat party machine. All justifiable IMO.

    187 minutes? Thinking about whether he should concede or continue to proceed with a protest of the election which was clearly stacked against him and there is plenty of evidence to establish that. Trump at all costs had to be removed from office, why is that? Who is the president today? Is it Trump? Where is the sedition? Where is the collusion? (Just politics, in the extreme, but politics all the same.)

    Why? Because Trump is the only leader who stated that he was pro American and actually did what he simply stated that he would do, do things in Americas interests and not our adversaries’ interests. The exact opposite of what Joe Biden as the mindless facade for the extreme radical Left Democrat party is currently doing.

    You and the Democrats despise Trump, I understand and respect that, I get it. But Trump being the most extreme threat that the Democrat party machine has EVER experienced is going all out to remove him and anyone who supports from any contention in politics into the future. Why?

    They always tell you who they fear the most.”

  • Cotour

    ADAM KINZINGER, MUCH LIKE BILL DEBLASIO, THEY ARE MOVING ON

    (The people that elected them have soundly rejected them because they are useless at the minimum and a threat to the country at the maximum)

    Adam Kinzinger: https://youtu.be/zqwaKFJW2PQ

    Bill DeBlasio: https://youtu.be/Cbv77bTZ-GU

    Two delusional political jackwads and extreme political failures.

    One a Republican RINO sufferer of a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), and the other a philosophical Marxist who has been told by even the self-righteous and delusional Liberals (D) that reside in NYC, “Please no more, you have done enough damage, stop helping! Go away!

    I think they both were teary eyed and almost cried at their forced realization.

    Two useless men.

  • David Telford

    Well good for her! Why is this even before a court? Did we unload common sense for coercive political objectives?

    Don’t bother to answer.

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