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For Immediate Release
January 10, 2008
Contacts: AFA - Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
IAM - Julie Frietchen 330-304-8305

UNIONS READY TO TAKE ON AIRLINE INDUSTRY

First-Ever Flight Attendant Strategic Bargaining Summit

Flight Attendant Leaders End Bargaining Summit with Strong Resolve

Washington, DC - Leaders from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) Association of Professional/ Flight Attendants (APFA) the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) concluded a three-day summit Thursday geared toward preparing an overall strategy to secure gains in upcoming contract talks. In the next two years more than half of a flight attendant contracts with U.S. airlines will be up for negotiations or are already in the process.

By coordinating efforts the coalition of flight attendants will raise the industry standard for wages retirement health care benefits and working conditions for a flight attendants and retirees. For the past several years airline employees across the industry have sacrificed pay benefits and working conditions through a long series of bankruptcies restructurings layoffs and threatened liquidations.

During this unmatched three-day summit union leaders met with leading academics labor economists consultants and lawyers to outline an initial strategy for this crucial round of bargaining. Recognizing that airline executives are unlikely to agree to significant improvements without a fight the coalition will now begin work on more specific initiatives and move forward on mobilizing their members in support of bargaining goals.

In the year of a U.S. Presidential election, and important Congressional elections, the Coalition unions are making plans for political mobilization of their 90,000 members. We must stress the importance of electing candidates who support issues important to Flight Attendants and other airline workers.

The coalition will meet again in March.

Over the next 18 months approximately 46 000 AFA-CWA flight attendants at 18 airlines will be in new or continuing contract negotiations (including those at United Airlines and US Airways) as will 19 000 APFA members at American Airlines 9 000 TWU members at Southwest Airlines and 12 000 IAM members at Continental ExpressJet and Micronesia Airlines.

Representing over 90,000 Flight Attendants at 26 U.S. airlines.
 

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AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 412-245-1214
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

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