Congress Ensures Flight Attendants’ Seniority Rights, Fatigue Study

by James Parks, Dec 21, 2007

Air Line Pilots President John Prater (left) and AFA-CWA President Patricia Friend (center) testified before Congress this summer on fatigue and airline safety.

Before leaving town for the holiday, Congress delivered two presents to the nation’s flight attendants. The omnibus appropriations bill passed Tuesday contained two important provisions sought by the Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). One ensured seniority protections for aviation employees, and the second funds a fatigue study.

AFA-CWA President Patricia Friend says the vote is:

a victory not only for the 55,000 AFA-CWA flight attendants, but for flight attendants across the country. Thanks to our friends on the Hill, we now can prevent any flight attendant group from being forced to the bottom of a combined seniority list in the event their airline merges with another.

We are also excited about the passage of funding for a comprehensive fatigue study. Flight attendant fatigue is a chronic problem in the aviation industry, and it continues to jeopardize our ability to fulfill important safety and security roles.

The two-year fatigue followup study comes after a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report confirmed flight attendants’ concerns that they are frequently “experiencing issues consistent with fatigue and tiredness” and that “fatigue appears to be a salient issue warranting further evaluation.” 

About 3,000 TWA flight attendants were placed at the bottom of the seniority list after American Airlines bought the airline in 2001. Just a few months later, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, nearly all the former TWA flight attendants lost their jobs because they were lowest on the seniority list, even though many had more than 25 years on the job.

Friend adds:

For years, AFA-CWA members have been urging their congressional leaders to take action on these very important issues. Those leaders listened, and because of their determination, flight attendants across the country are better off. Today we made a giant stride in protecting our futures and came one step closer to ending the dangerous effects of fatigue.

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