The jobs pay just above minimum wage when the guarantee is averaged out. That's why. Also, there are no agencies dedicated to protecting the safety of flight attendants. No OSHA for us.

Slave labor? That's funny. They should come do my job, as a CNA, where you get paid, if your lucky, $9.00 an hour to wipe butts, get puked on, peed on, spit on, verbally and physically abused, and your expected to remain professional at all times while this is going on. Don't get me wrong, I still love my job and taking care of people, and yes, I know that flight attendants have to put up with alot also, but it would be nice to get paid more to put up with it all.

Because it is a union contract. That is what was negotiated so that is how they are allowed to get away with it. Many flight attendents are on food stamps because the pay is so low. Many of them have 2 jobs to survive. It's terrible while managment rakes in millions in bonuses.

No it is the Union that has the Feds & Govt by the apples.....

What Slave Labor? They make a decent living or they wouldn't do it. They enjoy several perks that were not mentioned, like being able to fly free on vacations and things. Many enjoy the time off between flights! They also stay in some pretty good hotels (The airlines must have an arrangment with them) because I've seen that. Keep thinking they should get more and the next thing that'll happen is baggage fees will go up. None of us get paid for time spent going and coming from work (except people that are forced to fly to do their jobs i,e Tech Reps.)

I believe the cutting of their hours happened when they (the pilots & flight attendants) complained about being devoid of enough sleep. And now with legislative changes - this is what they have been left with. Enjoy your sleep....

Some needs to tell those who made these changes that it is wrong to be made to trade sleep for an inadequate living wage. . . The law went too far as they many times do!

Uuuhhhh...$20 per hour is quite a bit more than the current $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage. so it's not slave labor and no one is forcing these women to be flight attendants. It is their choice.

It is because most flight attendants are women, thats why they are paid so bad, look at what they did to waitresses, because most of them are women they stepped in and made sure that they are now being paid slave wages; look at workers in the early childhood development field-daycare workers/pre-school teachers-again, most of them are women and even after years of education the pay stinks, pitiful

all these "i thinks"...first of all..i dont get paid to and from work..I get paid once we close the doors..not for boarding, not for being there at check in..not for delays. We are still deprieved of sleep..that hasnt changed. 9:15 is our minimum rest and thats from the time we get off a plane to departure time...so do the math..an hour to the hotel and check in, an hour to get undressed, make calls wash face and brush teeth, an hour to get ready in the morning and an hour before departure van time...so 4 of those hours are not sleeping! we can work a 14 hour day with 5 hours of sleep and turn around and do another 14 hour day! hardly sleep....the hotel they put us in are hit or miss..bed bugs, parties, cockroaches old beds and gross hotels...some are super nice and some are average. so if you broke down my pay - 13 years - 31,000 for 456 hours on duty a month! 73 hours guarantee at my top pay of 34 dollars and hour...they aren't breaking bank by paying us! and if "please help" goes with the wrong airline she may be on reserve for years..never breaking that guarantee like me!

Because for a little while yet wages are set by demand and not by a bureaucrat. Where there are many lookin to do the job, then little will be paid. Want some good money? Collect garbage in a city. Those guys are making 70+K a year as who wants to do that? You have to pay to get them (maybe not these days but when the economy was good...)

Contractual.. if your union agrees to it you are not covered by the 40 hr rule

However, when you have gotten off reserve and have some seniority the life style is worth it.. never will work 8-5 again.

@dickn2000b: You missed the point. Yes, the pay is 20 and hour. But they are only getting maybe 80 hours a MONTH at first. If one isn't getting a lot of hours, then it's irrelevent what the hourly wage might be for the most part. I could pay you $1000.00 an hour, but only have you work for an hour a month. Guess what, depsite your huge hourly wage, you'd only make $1000.00 a month, $12,000 a year. Yet using your logic you shouldn't complain because you're making $1000.00 an hour. :P

Its legal because those of us governed under federal hours of service regulations (i.e truck drivers as well as airline pilots and flight attendants) are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards law. Meaning no minimum wage.