Heroic JetBlue Flight Attendant Charged

In reference to the recent events involving Steven Slater and his grand exit from JetBlue's aircraft at JFK airport a local new channel here in Missouri commented that it's a sign of the growing 'take this job and shove it' attitude among employees today. Maybe so, but why don't we take a little deeper look into the relationship between employees and employers. What is one of the first things most employers make very clear when applying for a position with their company? Something to the effect of 'we require a 2 week notice prior to you leaving this establishment'.. sound familiar? Of course, it's only 'proper' business etiquette to hand in a 2 week notice in most cases prior to resignation. It's polite, it gives your employer fair warning and ample time to locate a replacement so their business can continue in a productive fashion. Now how many people have unwittingly handed in their notice of resignation complying with standard 'policy' only to be let go that very day? Maybe a few days later? How many companies have terminated people's jobs without warning and without reason (as is permittable in the state of Missouri.) The fact is, the employers are selfish, they care only about their income, revenue flow and the stability of their business. They don't care about the pee-ons, the employees that made them their money. They don't care if you have a family, wife, kids to support..they don't care if you have bills to pay. What makes them so special they feel they can treat the majority of working class citizens this way? How familiar does this sound to some..or a lot of you. "We apologize, but due to recent cutbacks your health insurance has been decreased.." - or cancelled entirely. Perhaps you've started a new job recent enough that they informed you up front health insurance was not covered, that it was an additional option if you wished to purchase it. How often do you receive a pay raise? Or find that your pay has been capped? And yet employers push harder. They want more production, more hours, squeezing every little drop from their employees. Some employers do recognize this increase in productivity as a viable asset and provide bonuses. Incentive to work harder for them, which is an even trade. Others do not - or worse yet, others make promises of bonuses, and once you've exhausted yourself providing extra for them, your employer comes back to you with a lame, feeble excuse as to why the bonuses won't be seen despite you holding up your end of the bargain. It's time for corporate America to wake up. Take a look around you, take a look at your large penthouse office, your summer vacation home, your shiny new bass boat - and ponder this - how do you think you got those luxuries? Do you think you woke up one day more blessed than the rest of us who put our pants on one leg at a time? No. Your employees whom you repeatedly shiat on day after day after day - it was their work that helped your company succeed. Unfortunately this has become a nationwide epidemic. Factories closing down, corporations going bankrupt leaving their workers in the wind while vp's and ceo's walk away unscathed. Outsourcing. You name it and corporate America is sticking the screws to employees and have been doing so more and more as time goes by. It has become acceptable for businesses to raise their prices when they see fit. Supplies needed to run a business go up? Simple, raise prices of goods or services rendered. Pass the buck to the consumer. Gasoline prices soar, produce prices soar, the price of services continue to rise. What about wages? The working class are expected to take the brunt of these expenditures, without equal compensation. How many of you have heard this comment at your place of employment - "We'll need you to come in a little early tomorrow" or "We'll need you to stay a little later tonight" or maybe the classic "We prefer you to be here 5 min early each day, ready to work". Sure, it's only 5 minutes. Five minutes of YOUR time that the company is NOT paying for. What entitles them? See how unimportant 'just 5 minutes' really is.. and tomorrow, show up to your job 5 minutes late. Enter that board meeting 5 minutes behind schedule. Now that those mere 5 minutes are cutting into company time they become crucial. For those of you who don't feel like doing the math, assuming you give your employer those 5 extra minutes every day, over the course of a year adds up to over 21hrs of your time. For many, that's over half of an average work week. Even if you're lucky enough to receive a bonus at the end of the year, take a look at it and compare it to half of a week's wages. That's not a bonus, that's simply what they owe you for time you've just simply handed them from your life. Try asking for 21 hrs worth of pay at the end of the year and see how far that gets you. Again just the superior attitude that employers assume in relation to their employees. These are just a few simple insights, the list could go on and on. Looking back at things, let's revisit that comment - "take your job and shove it attitude". Is it any wonder people have adopted such an attitude? It sure doesn't surprise me, and it shouldn't surprise corporations either. After all, they created this overall lackluster appeal to work in general. If any employers are reading this, I encourage you take a good long hard look. Are you tired of this attitude from your employees? Do something about it. Change how your business runs and operates and work to correct your relationship with your employees. I feel this can be applied to any company, whether it's a simple family owned operation or a large multinational empire. Until then, you're right. Take your job - and shove it. To Steven Slater, congratulations and drink one for me.

Curiously he's charged with endagering people, but JetBlue said: “At no time was the security or safety of our customers or crew members at risk,” the company said, declining to answer other questions about the incident." It will be interesting to see how that all plays out in court. Maybe it could be a joint trial with the lady that was arrested for not complying with flight attendant instructions and assaulting a flight attendant...both violations of federal rules. Oh wait, that's right, she wasn't arrested.

That a woman could be so rude as to actually cut Slater's head open is inexcusable, and really, how much would it have taken for her to just say, "I'm sorry?" What's with these kind of brash jerks these days? I think the whole thing is hilarious, and if I were the CEO of another airline I'd hire Slater in a heartbeat, just for the positive PR it would generate, as well as to make a statement, that they don't appreciate the way some jerks treat their flight attendants.

I sympathize and can relate to his frustration but...Heroic?????

Whats wrong with some people these days? This guy is "Heroic" to every single person who has ever worked in the service industry. You have to put up with a lot of crap in those kinda jobs that in the same thing happened in a corporate setting you would be looking to get that person fired and banned from that profession for life. Think about it next time you want to yell at you waiter or flight attendant or the 17 year old who works at the local Gap...

I don't think I would call him "heroic", yet I will say that I think that this incident needs to be looked at in a different way. Should this man go to jail for seven possible years? No. Of all of crimes that are committed everyday, this doesn't rank up there with any of the ones I feel deserve jail time. As for the passenger, Delta threw a woman off their aircraft that thought that the pilot might be intoxicated, yet nothing was done to the passenger in this case? Shame!

Anyone who stands up and berates a self-important airline passenger as they SHOULD be berated is most definitely "heroic."

The video of Slater's arrest showed an injury to his forehead possibly caused by the passenger who allowed a piece of overhead bin luggage to deliberately strike Slater's head. This occured after the passenger refused to comply with instructions to remain seated. Did they arrest the unruly passenger? If not, the situation is even more ridiculous...

On the other hand, if you are gonna quit, this is a pretty dramatic way to do it. Of course they have fired him for cause so he won't get unemployment, but hey, will he need it in jail?

I think the word they were looking for in the headline was "Moronic."

Self-absorbed drama queen. Everybody thinks they're a "reality show" star these days.

Is there some reason "Heroic" was added to this headline?