Flight Attendants Offer Holiday Travel Tips
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You’ve made it through the parking lot, baggage check, security and are finally ready—somewhat frazzled but ready—to board your plane for your long-awaited holiday trip. The Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) have some tips for you that will help ensure you and your family travel safely and securely and ease the strain on passengers, children and fellow travelers.
AFA-CWA President Veda Shook says, “As first responders in the aircraft cabin, flight attendants’ primary responsibility is to protect the safety and security of our passengers.” She adds: Read the rest of this entry »
Omni Flight Attendants Vote to Join AFA-CWA
Nearly 400 flight Attendants at Omni Air International voted overwhemingly—by an 83 percent margin—to join the Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA).
Omni Air flight attendant Mya Grap, interm president of the AFA-CWA Omni unit, says:
We love our work and we want to make it better. We are going to make the most out of this opportunity and make a big difference for our future….Omni Flight Attendants make great contributions to the success of our carrier and to our country through our work with the U.S. military.
Another FAA Shutdown Looming over Rep. Mica’s, Delta’s Union-Busting Scheme
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If a funding agreement isn’t reached by Sept. 16, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces another shutdown like the one Republicans forced in July. That shutdown cost 4,000 FAA workers and 70,000 construction workers two weeks’ pay, halted important airport safety improvements and cost taxpayers some $400 million. It ended Aug. 5 with a temporary FAA reauthorization.
But another shutdown just might happen if Republicans like Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) continue to carry Delta Air Lines’ baggage by backing a provision in the long-term House FAA funding bill—supported by Delta—to take away democratic union election rights for aviation and rail workers. Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) President Veda Shook says Mica is:
acting as Delta Air Lines’ pawn by advancing a union-busting provision and threatening another shutdown of the FAA. Mica’s contempt for workers and the 75,000 people who were out of work due to the partial shutdown of the FAA is feeding Delta’s grossly funded union-busting scheme.
AFA-CWA unions are stepping up the pressure on Mica, his Republican colleagues and Delta—and you can join in. Click here to sign a petition to Delta telling the airline it’s time to cease its support for the “entirely undemocratic” union election provision that would count workers who don’t participate in a union election as “No” votes.
USW Members OK Pact with Allegheny Technologies—and More Bargaining News
United Steelworkers in Pennsylvania and Oregon ratify a contract with Allegheny Technologies, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,400 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
USW, Allegheny Technologies Inc.: Two weeks after they rejected a tentative agreement with Allegheny Technologies Inc., members of the United Steelworkers (USW) ratified a new four-year contract. The contract covers 3,000 workers in Pennsylvania and Oregon.
TSOs Elect AFGE as Their Union
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Even as the right to join a union is under attack across the country, more than 40,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees in 450 airports today made a strong statement for workers’ rights by electing AFGE as their exclusive union representative. The 8,903-8,447 vote came in a runoff with the National Treasury Employees Union.
AFGE President John Gage said:
We are obviously thrilled with the election results, but more importantly are delighted that the transportation security officers (TSOs) now will have the full union representation they rightly deserve. AFGE thanks the TSOs for their support and faith in our union.
In April, nearly 85 percent of the TSOs who voted chose to join a union. AFGE led the voting in that election but did not garner an outright majority.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement:
Today’s victory affirms the deep-seated desire of working people across the country for a voice on the job and a seat at the table in solving workplace problems when given a free choice.
IAM Ratifies Pact with Army Fleet Support—and More Bargaining News
The Machinists (IAM) approved a new contract with Army Fleet Support, and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,300 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
IAM, Army Fleet Support: Members of Machinists (IAM) Local 2003 at Ft. Rucker, Ala., ratified a new three-year contract with Army Fleet Support earlier this month. The 3,800 IAM members are trainers, test pilots and mechanics at the Army’s largest helicopter base.
Coffee, Tea or Workplace Safety?
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Back when flight attendants were stewardesses and airline ads promoted their good looks and winsome smiles to get you on board, these hardworking airline employees had no job safety and health protection. Today, flight attendants still are not covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and most of his Republicans colleagues want to keep it that way, just like the old days.
The Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), Machinists (IAM) and Transport Workers (TWU) have launched campaigns to fight back. Here’s the latest video from TWU that notes, “Times have changed” and Paul’s efforts put both flight attendants and the flying public at risk.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill now in the Senate provides OSHA protection to flight attendants and other air crew. Paul has offered an amendment to cut those protections from the FAA bill, in effect putting both workers and passengers at risk.
Considering the high rate of workplace injuries and the impact on the flying public, flight attendants are speaking out about why this is a serious mistake. Sanitation, air quality, temperature and humidity levels, noise and blood-borne pathogens are just a few of the hazards that go unchecked for flight attendants in their workplace—the aircraft cabin.
What’s next, passenger parachutes for landing?
Flight Attendants Speak Out Against Rand Paul’s Health and Safety Attack
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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants to deny safety and health protections for flight attendants. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill would extend Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protection to flight attendants and other air crew, something air crew workers have been seeking for decades. Paul has offered an amendment to strip the OSHA protections from the bill. (Click here for details.)
Considering the high rate of workplace injuries and the impact on the flying public, flight attendants are speaking out about why this is a serious mistake. Sanitation, air quality, temperature and humidity levels, noise and blood-borne pathogens are just a few of the hazards that go unchecked for flight attendants in their workplace—the aircraft cabin.
Check out this new video from the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD) that features flight attendants from Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), Machinists (IAM) and Transport Workers (TWU) explaining why Paul’s amendment is a bad idea for workers and passengers.
Rand Paul Attacks Flight Attendants’ Safety
With some 280,000 jobs at stake in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, you’d think Senate lawmakers would be working together to get those jobs in the pipeline as soon as possible. Not.
First, Republicans used the bill as a vehicle for their near pathological obsession to repeal health care reform. Now, with the support of most of his Republican colleagues, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants to use the bill to take away workplace safety and health rights for flight attendants—and, in effect, put passengers at risk as well.
The bill extends Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protection to flight attendants and other air crew, something air crew workers have been seeking for decades. Paul’s amendment would cut those protections from the FAA bill. Currently, workplace safety standards and enforcement falls to the FAA. Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) President Veda Shook says:
To date, OSHA has been kept out of the aircraft cabin and that means flight attendants and passengers are subject to an environment absent sanitation standards, temperature standards and proper procedures for clean up of bio hazards. This is inexcusable.
Confessed Union Buster Shares Trade Secrets with Delta Flight Attendants
The late Martin Jay Levitt spent 19 years “on the dark side,” running 250 union-busting campaigns for corporations around the country. He was good at it, too, losing a mere five.
In this video, “Confessions of a Union Buster,” Levitt share his experience, trade secrets and tips with Delta Air Lines’ more than 20,000 flight attendants who will begin voting Sept. 29 on forming a union with the Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). The video was produced by Delta AFA using excerpts from Levitt’s seminars and book of the same name.
Two of the main gospels of any anti-union campaign, says Levitt, are misinformation and fear.
A union buster without the atmosphere or climate of fear is like working without one leg and one arm. Fear is essential. Fear is like caviar, lobster and filet mignon to a union buster. Along with breaking the law, the element and emotion of fear is vital.
