After announcing that flight attendants are allowed to wear Black Lives Matter pins on their uniform, American Airlines employees are expressing their hostility over the decision.
Some white New Yorkers who are employed by the airline are especially unhappy about the move because they consider BLM to be anti-police and violent, and some of their family members work in law enforcement.
“I take offense to this,” one flight attendant said in an email to airline management that was obtained by The New York Post. “Serious offense. My husband is a LEO (Law Enforcement Officer), as was my deceased father, and as far as I’m concerned, ALL LIVES MATTER.”
“I am completely disgusted at the fact that we can’t show support for our GOD, our COUNTRY, our LEOs, but when it comes to BLM organization (which is controversial in itself), American Airlines says that’s obviously different,” she continued. “And we can. How is that right? Well, I don’t feel included.”
Another flight attendant, who only wanted to be identified as John, expressed concern that if staff did not wear a BLM pin, they will be considered racist and told The Post he would wear his NYPD pin to support the police department to counter the BLM pin.
American Airlines told The Post in a statement that the company is currently working with their Black Professional Network on a pin design for the uniform and are working on several other pin designs to support various other causes, like UNICEF, for example. They already have pins representing Christian, veteran, and LGBTQ groups that can be worn as part of the uniform.
“American is truly committed to having an inclusive culture that is welcoming to all and a reflection of our country and world,” the airline’s senior vice president for flight services, Jill Surdek, said to disgruntled employees in an email.
