Anyone wearing a kilt stands out in a crowd. Even though it's really just a special skirt to me, I've still had people stop me in the street and compliment my kilt and want to know more about it. So far I've blogged about what’s under the kilt and kilts being banned in schools and Poland but I ran across an intereting article in USA Today describing how kilts are being used as a protest tool by air traffic controlloers
Check out part of the article, it's from June:
Male air traffic controllers don dresses in protest
CLEVELAND (AP) — Air traffic controllers locked in a staffing dispute with the government are upset about a dress code and have shown their displeasure in high-flying fashion, with some men protesting by wearing women's clothing.
The Federal Aviation Administration's dress code, instituted in September, bars jogging outfits, halter tops, shorts and jeans. Approved clothing items include dress slacks, casual shirts with collars and sweaters. Midnight-shift workers are exempt...
But a few times in the past year, male controllers have worn dresses or kilts to work, according to the controllers' union, the 15,000-member National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The point was to illustrate the silliness of the dress code because nothing bars male controllers from wearing dresses, union spokesman Doug Church said.
The dress code is typical of professional environments, said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory.
At the FAA's Cleveland Air Route Control Center in Oberlin, one controller was disciplined because he wore an orange shirt that a supervisor said "looked like a highway traffic cone," and another was told his aquamarine pants were "not gender appropriate" for a man, Church said...
In their larger negotiations, the controllers are upset about changes in schedules, no mandatory breaks every two hours, and pay issues, including a pay cut for new hires, Church said...
I don't know much about the whole air traffic controller issue. I don't think their biggest issue is their dress code, they're just using that to draw attention to the other things they want.
In my personal opinion, give them what they want! They have such an incredibly stressful and important job and it alarms me to think that air traffic controllers are being distracted by breaks and pay issues while directing the plane I might be flying in around the sky.
I'm quite glad to see that the kilt is once again being put to good use as a protest tool.
Pipe on!
4 comments:
Seems that a kilt would be a much better, and more effective protest, than wearing a dress.
Kilted Thebes
kiltblog.com
I agree. Thanks for visiting my blog.
I'm appalled at the clothing styles in circulation today. When I was younger we wore what we were given and liked it! However, your article was very interesting and I hope the air traffic controllers are kept happy. I would think most people could care less what controllers wore as long as the airplanes didn’t crash into each other.
I've done the same actually. I work for an IT company, telephone support. Business casual dress code, where shorts are not allowed, however human resources says kilts are just fine.
Gives me a good excuse to wear mine.
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