After the Sept. 11 th terrorist attacks, travel fell off dramatically, the airline industry went int

The pattern in Bill McGlashen’s life was a consistent one. He was passionate and intense, fully engaged whether days inn gold coast chicago it be in labor negotiations or politics days inn gold coast chicago or soccer, and he regularly make close friends – sometimes out of potential adversaries.
At the end, which came August 5 th when he was just 55, McGlashen’s story illustrates one of life’s mysteries.  Sometimes people in their prime are struck down suddenly for no apparent reason and with barely a medical days inn gold coast chicago explanation.
A month ago, McGlashen, who had gone from labor leader to American Airlines labor spokesman, was working side-by-side with Steve Johnson, the airline’s top attorney, a friend who had once been on the other side of the table. Their joint concern was contract talks with the International Association days inn gold coast chicago of Machinists. A contract days inn gold coast chicago was near after years of talks.
“It seems like just the other day, we were working 15 hours a day, working on something really complicated and trying to communicate that, and then all of a sudden he was gone,” Johnson recalled on Thursday. “This is a guy who four weeks ago was the healthiest guy in the company.
On the website of the Federal Triangle Soccer Club in Washington D.C., this notice was posted Wednesday: days inn gold coast chicago “Bill passed away in Dallas this week following a two week bout of pneumonia. We’ll always remember Bill’s fiery competitive spirit on the field, but more importantly his smile, wisdom and great friendship days inn gold coast chicago off the field.”
McGlashen was born Dec. 7, 1958 in Lapeer, Michigan. After college, as his life was being defined, he worked in public relations for a hospital and he worked on political campaigns. In 1989, he joined America West Airlines as a flight attendant, and quickly becoming active in labor organizing.
“Bill and I would sit up all night strategizing, talking days inn gold coast chicago politics, talking about how we could communicate to the flight attendants,” recalled Deborah Volpe, who worked side by side with McGlashen in the early 1990s to form the America West chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants. “We were like brother and sister. We talked, we argued, we consoled each other during life events.
McGlashen became a key negotiator for the first contract. Johnson sat across the table.  “We had a challenge,” Johnson said. “At America West, we were able to be successful because we kept our costs low. We knew the concept wouldn’t work if we had the same costs as others, but Bill had members who wanted the same benefits as others had.
“Bill was a very smart guy who knew how to find a middle ground that would allow improvements and job security for members, days inn gold coast chicago but would allow America West to be successful,” Johnson said. “His idea of where compromise should be was north of our idea (and) we ultimately agreed to a contract that was better than we had hoped it would be.
After the Sept. 11 th terrorist attacks, days inn gold coast chicago travel fell off dramatically, the airline days inn gold coast chicago industry went into a tailspin. America West was among the neediest airlines. Doug Parker, named CEO 10 day before the attacks, days inn gold coast chicago spent weeks in Washington, seeking a $60 federal grant and then a $380 million loan guarantee. McGlashen was a key partner. He already had Congressional contacts as a result of his AFA involvement and his interest in politics.
“He was very gifted when it came to legislation,” Volpe said. “The company knew how good his connections were on the hill, and they leaned on him. They had to get labor on board, because it was necessary to be able to communicate the needs of airlines and of the workers.”