A union official’s opinion of blacklisting: “I am all about targeted assassinations.”

Southwest Airlines: Enemy to free speech

Today’s blacklisting story is a further update in connection with the victory by former Southwest Airline flight attendant Charlene Carter, who was fired by the airline for having opinions neither the airline nor her union liked.

Carter sued, and was awarded by a jury $4.15 million from Southwest and $950,000 from Local 556 of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) for what the jury deemed an unjust firing.

As I noted at the link,

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 union are appealing this jury decision, and that’s where this update comes in. A Texas news outlet has apparently obtained copies of emails used as evidence during the trial that were sent by TWU official Brian Talburt to one Southwest manager as well as his boss, union head Audrey Stone, discussing the actions the union and Southwest should take together against several non-union Southwest employees.
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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.

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