AFA-CWA LOOKS FORWARD TO PASSAGE OF FAA REAUTHORIZATION
Bill Includes Key Provisions for Flight Attendants Including Cell Phone
Ban
Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA)
commended the U.S. House of Representatives today on bringing the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill (H.R. 915) to
the floor for a vote and anticipates its passage later this evening. The
bill, which appropriates funding to the FAA for vast improvements,
includes important enhancements directly related to the flight attendant
profession.
“Flight attendants across the country support this FAA Reauthorization
bill in order to advance our profession,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA
International President. “Within this bill are workplace safety and
health protections for flight attendants that have been ignored for far
too long.”
One provision included in H.R. 915 continues the current Federal
Communications Commission’s (FCC) ban on inflight cell phone use.
“We applaud Representative Peter DeFazio for including this important
provision in the bill and are grateful for his continued dedication to
protecting and preserving the interests of flight attendants and airline
passengers. Cell phone use on aircraft is not a necessity. In far too
many operational scenarios, cell phone use could be far worse than a
mere nuisance: It could have catastrophic effects on aviation safety and
security,” added Friend.
Other measures included in the FAA Reauthorization include funding for a
flight attendant fatigue study; the inclusion of OSHA workplace safety
and health protections; notification of pesticide application on
flights; cabin air quality provisions that would initiate development of
air quality sensors and filtration; a "Return to the Cabin" program that
will allow flight attendants an opportunity for rehabilitation after
testing positive for drug or alcohol abuse; temperature standards for
aircraft; further definition of provisions restricting foreign control
of U.S. airlines; and a ban on smoking onboard charter flights.
ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS-CWA TESTIFIES ON
EMERGENCY PLANNING AFTER RECENT FLU OUTBREAK
Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA)
today testified on Capitol Hill regarding concerns that arose after a
recent public health emergency and the summer travel outlook for this
year. The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Aviation
conducted the hearing which focused on aviation consumer issues and
emergency contingency planning during public health emergencies.
“We strongly believe that we must be given the tools and ability to play
our part in slowing or preventing the spread of a potentially fatal
disease outbreak,” testified Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International
President. “As workers in a high risk environment we are entitled to
protections in our work place, yet for far too long the Federal Aviation
Administration has failed to protect those that work onboard the
aircraft and continued to deny flight attendants common OSHA
protections. As the front line employees in this industry, flight
attendants have a unique day-to-day understanding of steps that can be
taken to reduce the risks associated with a public health emergency in
order to make the travel experience better.”
After the recent health emergency surrounding the spread of the H1N1
virus, AFA-CWA requested that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
issue an emergency order to all U.S. carriers requiring them to take
specific steps to help flight attendants not only protect themselves
from exposure, but also to minimize the possibility of inadvertently
spreading disease during an outbreak.
AFA-CWA asked that the FAA direct airlines to follow three important
steps: require that all aircraft be supplied with breathing masks and
non-latex gloves at least on flights to, from, and within at-risk areas;
that airlines allow flight attendants with flu-like symptoms to call in
sick free from discipline; and allow pregnant or immune system
compromised flight attendants the ability to change their scheduled
trips if they involve flights to areas of the disease outbreak.
Unfortunately, the FAA did not issue an emergency order and according to
a recent survey, a majority of AFA-CWA carriers took little action on
AFA-CWA’s recommended plan.
“Many airline management teams still hold the outdated view that flight
attendants are primarily a marketing tool rather then our federally
mandated role as inflight safety and security professionals. Management
appears less concerned with minimizing the risk of exposure to
potentially dangerous illnesses than in minimizing the perception and
appearance of a possible threat to health,” added Friend.
DAL ALPA MEC SUPPORTS DAL FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS'
UNION ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN
WHEREAS
ALPA pilots have demonstrated a longstanding support of unionized
airline employees, and
WHEREAS the strong professional
relationship between all members of a flight crew is based upon mutual
respect and a history of cooperation, and
WHEREAS
all flight crewmembers have many common issues and needs in the
performance of their duties and representation of their interests, and
WHEREAS the Railway Labor Act, Section 152,
delineates that:
“Employees shall have the right to organize
and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing.
The majority of any craft or class of employees shall have the right to
determine who shall be the representative of the craft or class for the
purposes of this chapter. No carrier, its officers, or agents shall
deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join,
organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their
choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way
with the organization of its employees, ... or to influence or coerce
employees in an effort to induce them to join or remain or not to join
or remain members of any labor organization.”
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the DAL MEC
fully supports the DAL Flight Attendants in their right to organize and
select representation of their own choosing.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED the DAL MEC is
committed to the ideals that Delta Air Lines employees can be both
pro-union and pro-Delta.
CWA Succeeds in Pushing for Quick Nomination to National Mediation Board
In what is being hailed
as a positive development for labor relations, President Obama has named
Linda A. Puchala as commissioner on the National Mediation Board (NMB).
The move comes after U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, joined by more
than 80 other members of Congress, sent a request to the White House
seeking a swift appointment to the three-member board, which plays a key
role in overseeing the rights of airline and railway workers. And the
appointment comes after one dozen Northwest Airlines flight attendants
visited more than 100 House and Senate offices to educate members of
Congress on the importance of the NMB position. This appointment is of
crucial importance to CWA because it will affect 9,000 flight attendants
and AFA-CWA members formerly employed by Northwest Airlines who now work
for Delta. It also could affect other Delta flight attendants who are
not currently union members but are seeking representation.
The appointment drew quick praise from Association of Flight
Attendants-CWA President Patricia Friend. “Linda Puchala’s experience
within the agency will ensure a smooth transition to a new Board,”
Friend said. “Her commitment to workers’ rights and to the collective
bargaining process will help restore the integrity of this vital federal
agency. For years, the NMB has operated under arcane and unreasonable
rules that make it difficult for workers to organize. We look forward to
working with Ms. Puchala to ensure that the NMB adheres to its mission
of protecting employees’ right to organize without interference or
influence from the employers and their multi-million dollar anti-worker
campaigns.”
Puchala – who will replace Read Van de Water, a former Northwest
Airlines lobbyist -- is currently a senior mediator with the National
Mediation Board and oversees the Alternate Dispute Resolution program
for the Board. Since joining the NMB, she has worked with employees and
employers in both the airline and rail industries. She has over 30 years
experience in labor relations which includes serving as the President of
the Association of Flight Attendants from 1979 to 1986.
ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS-CWA APPLAUDS NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
APPOINTMENT
Washington, DC - The
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) congratulated the Obama
Administration today for their appointment of Linda Puchala to the
National Mediation Board (NMB). When confirmed, Puchala will replace a
current board member who was a hold-over appointment from the Bush
Administration since July 2006.
“We are very pleased
with White House’s choice and believe Linda’s consensus-building skills
and commitment to the collective bargaining process will be a valuable
addition to the agency which is so critical to labor relations in the
aviation and railway industries,”¯
stated Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. “There are
difficult issues in front of us in both industries so we urge the Senate
to move promptly to confirm Ms. Puchala so that we can look to a Board
functioning in every respect for guidance and assistance.”
The National
Mediation Board is the federal agency charged with overseeing collective
bargaining and representation under the Railway Labor Act, which was
enacted to protect workers’ rights to organize unions and engage in free
and fair collective bargaining in the aviation and rail industries. The
NMB consists of three members appointed by the President of the United
States, two of whom are appointed from the party of the President. Over
the past eight years, the NMB has repeatedly failed to fulfill its
mission to promote collective bargaining and to provide and protect the
rights of workers who seek to join a union. Recognizing this failure,
earlier this year Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), joined by
80 Congressional leaders, sent a request to the White House seeking a
swift appointment of a fair-minded replacement to this federal agency so
important to our transportation systems.
“Linda Puchala’s
experience within the agency will ensure a smooth transition to a new
Board. Her commitment to workers’ rights and to the collective
bargaining process will help to restore the integrity of this vital
federal agency. For years, the NMB has operated under arcane and
unreasonable rules that make it difficult for workers to organize. We
look forward to working with Ms. Puchala to ensure that the National
Mediation Board adheres to its mission of protecting employees’ right to
organize without interference or influence from the employers and their
multi-million dollar anti-worker campaigns.”
Puchala is currently
a senior mediator with the National Mediation Board and oversees the
Alternate Dispute Resolution program for the Board.
Since joining the
NMB, she has worked with employees and employers in both the airline and
rail industries. She has over 30 years experience in labor relations
which includes serving as the President of the Association of Flight
Attendants from 1979 to 1986.
12 FEBRUARY 2009
SENIORITY LIST MEANINGLESS WITHOUT A CONTRACT
We recently received the recommendation put out by the Delta seniority
integration committee. While the information seems stirring, any talks
of merging our respective lists are premature. Delta executives are
trying to call the game in the first quarter and that’s just not right.
Instead, we need to focus on the “end game” of having a union vote and a
contract.
Do not be lulled into a false sense of security as Delta executives
continue to try to confuse and divide us and take away our right to an
industry leading agreement for all flight attendants at the world’s
largest carrier. Remember that the recommendation published this week by
the Delta management sponsored committee and the Delta seniority
list can be changed at any time without a contract.
A seniority list, in and of itself, is meaningless absent the
protections of our agreement. The word “seniority” is written in our
contract more than 350 times and involves many crucial provisions and
sections of our collective bargaining agreement. While seniority is
certainly the bedrock of our contract, it is just one of the many
important issues that concern us – from our pay and benefits, to the
scope of our work, and protections against outsourcing our jobs.
Though the Delta committee seems to agree with our longstanding AFA
policy of “date-of-hire”, any talks of agreeing on a merged seniority
list are simply not timely. Several steps need to occur prior to
merging our seniority lists including:
- A vote for AFA representation in which all flight attendants will
have the opportunity to vote
- Surveying all flight attendants to determine our preferred
priorities for negotiations
- Negotiate an industry leading contract at the world's largest
carrier
- All flight attendants will then have the opportunity vote on a
negotiated agreement with Delta Air Lines.
Our timeline should flow like the pilots, and we deserve as much.
Together at Northwest and Delta they first negotiated and voted on a
contract, and then merged their seniority lists.
Crewmembers at Northwest and Delta will not fly together until a single
operating certificate is given by the FAA. We have a long way to go to
get to that status. A rush to integrate seniority, before voting for
representation and a contract, is like leaving the Superbowl before
halftime.
As always, we welcome your feedback. Let us know if you have any
questions and also give us the feedback you are hearing on the line.
NMB Finding for Single Carrier Status
The NMB found that for purposes of representation, the merger of
Northwest and Delta has created a single transportation system with
respect to the pilots, flight dispatchers and meteorologists.
The NMB rejected Delta’s argument that a single carrier finding
also triggers a representation dispute for the other work groups who
did not file applications, such as AFA, the IAM and AMFA.
In so ruling, the NMB affirmed AFA’s position that a representation
election can only be initiated by an employee or a Union. AFA will
file for a single carrier determination when the respective flight
attendant work groups have been fully merged.
Full Findings Here in PDF
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