For nearly five years, US Airways flight attendant John McCorkle has provided company employees, journalists and other observers an inside, and often skeptical, view of the airline's management via his e-mail newsletter.
He's flung barbs at US Airways chief executives and the union that represents its flight attendants. He has broken news, such as how the airline instructed employees to waive rules so U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, D-S.C., and his wife could buy cheaper tickets.
This time, US Airways says he went too far.
The airline suspended McCorkle with pay this month over an off-color newsletter item about former chief financial officer Neal Cohen.
He quoted a comment from a pilot that Cohen "is probably the first Jewish CFO who doesn't know what he's earning." The reference was to a statement Cohen made during a US Airways bankruptcy hearing that he didn't know the value of his company compensation, McCorkle wrote.
According to McCorkle, the airline said the comment violated its zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory or harassing conduct in the workplace. On May 14, US Airways lifted the suspension but put him on notice that another violation would cost him his job. US Airways doesn't comment on disciplinary action against employees, a spokesman told the Times.
Out of more than 3,500 subscribers, 10 complained about the item, McCorkle said. He apologized in a subsequent newsletter for offending anyone.
But he's appealing the punishment. He writes the newsletter on his own time, on his home computer, McCorkle says. He doesn't identify himself as a US Airways employee, sends the newsletter only to people who ask for it and makes sure no one subscribes for someone else.
McCorkle says it's a free speech issue: How can the airline punish an employee for comments made away from work to people who want to hear what he has to say?
However, in a letter to McCorkle, the carrier pointed out that at least three airline employees (two senior vice presidents and a spokesman) and various journalists receive the newsletter.
