Flight attendants for American Airlines published an open letter apologizing to actress Nicole Kidman after their union president critcized the actress for appearing in ads for the Arab airline Etihad Airways.
In the new letter, the flight attendants say that Association of Professional Flight Attendants president Laura Glading wrote the original letter as a political stunt.
“Ms. Glading’s attack on your character as a contract spokesperson for Etihad Airways is unwarranted and unjustified,” the employees in the union wrote.
They also say that the reason Glading attacked Kidman and Etihad was to drum up support for herself in Washington after her term as union president is over. It goes on to claim that Glading was involved in backdoor negotiations for a contract that ultimately hurt the union.
“In summary, what we have now, Ms. Kidman, is a lame-duck president who is grasping at straws in an effort to rebuild her image so as to prepare herself for a post-APFA career come 2016,” the letter continues. “Her attack on you is aimed solely at opening doors in Washington and has little to do with the rights of flight attendants employed by foreign carriers.”
In a statement to TheWrap regarding the apology letter, the AFPA said, “While each of our members is entitled to their own opinion, the APFA and the strong majority of our members care very deeply about the issue of equality and fairness for flight attendants at Etihad.”
In Glading’s letter published on April 2, she asked Kidman to step down as the Etihad Airways spokesperson due to “discriminatory labor practices and deplorable treatment of female employees.”
“Etihad is a regressive company that seeks to return our industry to its darkest ages,” Glading’s letter read.
Etihad responded to the accusations by saying, “Our commitment to the welfare, safety, and well-being of the diverse group of men and women who have worked so hard to make Etihad Airways great is one of our airline’s top priorities.”