Dear Members,
- GROUNDBREAKING FAA REAUTHORIZATION
PROMISES
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AFA Local Numbers
GROUNDBREAKING FAA REAUTHORIZATION
PROMISES GAINS FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
Washington, DC
–Flight attendants today made
significant headway in improving workplace safety and
health when the United States House of
Representatives passed a reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA). The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) applauded the House’s
efforts to ensure that flight attendant specific provisions were included in the
final bill, H.R. 2881.
"Today, Congress set a
mandate that flight attendants deserve workplace safety and health requirements
that protect those of us whose office is 30,000 feet in the air," said Patricia
Friend, AFA-CWA International President. "This is a victory for our over 55,000
members who reached out to their Congressional leaders time after time to tell
them that important flight attendant provisions, such as those included in the
FAA Reauthorization, must make their way into law and cannot continue to be
ignored."
There are several
important provisions included in the FAA Reauthorization that AFA-CWA has
repeatedly requested for years. For the first time in over 30 years, a
requirement for workplace safety and health protections for flight attendants
was finally recognized. Flight attendants suffer numerous occupational injuries
and illnesses while working aboard commercial flights at rates several times
higher than those for all private industry workers, yet are not covered under
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.
The FAA
Reauthorization also states that the FAA must institute a HIMS, or "Return to
the Cabin" Program, that will allow flight attendants an opportunity for
rehabilitation after testing positive for drug or alcohol abuse. The House also
instructed the FAA to complete studies on flight attendant fatigue and continue
sampling and analyzing onboard cabin air. The FAA must also initiate a study of
actual onboard temperatures to determine if regulations are necessary to mandate
standard temperatures onboard aircraft. Protection for seniority integration in
case of an airline merger was also included. This provision will help to ensure
that, in the event of an airline merge r, all employees are treated fairly and
one group is not stapled to the bottom of the merged seniority list.
Additionally, the bill mandates that airlines must notify passengers upon ticket
purchase if their aircraft is subject to pesticide spraying.
"We owe our gratitude
to all the Representatives who took the time to listen to our members and see
that for far too long, flight attendants have been denied the basic workplace
protection that millions of other employees in the country take for granted,"
said Friend.
For over 60 years, the Association of
Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for flight attendants in the
workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill. More than
55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines come together to form AFA-CWA, the
world’s largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong
Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at
www.afanet.org.
Thank you,
Mike Flores, President
The US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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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US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780
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