Labor: A Kiwi at 32

Once every two years American Airlines takes over a posh hotel and holds a banquet for its Kiwis, appropriately named for the New Zealand bird that cannot fly. American's Kiwis are former stewardesses who quit to marry or retired gracefully at 32, the age at which American now grounds its girls. Not all of American's stewardesses want to turn into Kiwis. Last week seven blue-suited American stewardesses, all approaching 32 or past it, sparked a labor dispute by insisting that a girl's wings should not be clipped because of age. "Do I look like an old bag?" asked a pert 35-year-old who, like 70 other over-32 American stewardesses, is still flying under a waiver because she joined American before it established its grounding policy in 1953. The stewardesses' protest was no mere girlish outburst: they also seek higher wages and fewer hours in the new contract that the Transport Workers Union is now negotiating for them with American. American argues that it guarantees ground jobs that pay as well as flying ones to stewardesses after they are grounded—but, then, no one really expects them to stay around that long. Age limits are also in effect at TWA and Delta (both 35), but marriage nearly always solves the problem. American itself has an annual 40% stewardess turnover rate, and only eight to ten stewardesses a year out of American's 1,500 reach 32 without a wedding ring.