WHAT CAN AFA DO FOR YOU?
"UNITED WE BARGAIN; DIVIDED WE BEG"
IS YOUR COMPASS POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
By joining with your colleagues in a union at your workplace you benefit in many ways. On the job, your union brings together the collective strength of you and your co-workers to insure meaningful negotiations with management for an equitable contract. Besides wages and salaries, areas that can be negotiated include: staffing and overtime, safety and health, cost of living raises, adequate pensions, vacations, equitable promotion systems and transfer policies, and a workable grievance system. Through your union, you and your co-workers oversee carrying out the provisions of the contract.
Just a few examples of the issues that AFA can work on for us:
**Voluntary Furlough - Everyone on voluntary furlough keeps all of their benefits!!! AND it is ONLY because of their contract with AFA!!!!! Complete furlough package contract. This is what AFA can and will do for you. It's very simple. Click Here to read full details of United's AFA contract for voluntary furloughed flight attendants.
In the event of furlough at Compass, that there is NO protection by virtue of seniority. Compass can pick and choose who to furlough. They are also not required to call back anyone that is on furlough for rehire. So new hires can be hired over anyone who is furloughed.
**Swine Flu - Click here.
**AFA Resolution: Flight Time Paid for H1N1 Inspections at United Airlines** Due to their AFA contract! Click here.
**AFA Works With Congress to Provide Equal FMLA Benefits to Flight Attendants**
Click here.**Reserve Contractural Reserve Language - Click here.
**AFA Continues to Fight for Bankrupt ATA Flight Attendants, Even When NO Longer Paying Dues!** Only a result of having a legally binding contract - Click here.
**TSA Authorization Passes House of Representatives with Important Flight Attendant Security Provisions** Click here for full article.
**AFA-CWA Urges Senate to Include Vital Protections in Upcoming FAA Reauthorization** Click Here.
**Pilot Lay Offs** News article concerning the impending pilot layoffs and Average Joe Inc's take on it. "Think about it. The pilots have a contract. This gives them a return to work or right of recall. They have bumping rights. They will have unemployment, but without a contract what would they have? NOTHING. Same goes for us". Click here.
**FAA Bill!** AFA and your Steering Committee wanted you to be among the first to know! There is great excitement here building up at having the opportunity to be a part of the largest FA union and on the front lines of our greater profession! Click here for details on the bill.
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Outside of the work place, the union works for you as well. The status of your profession and the well-being of the individual practitioner are not only affected by employing institutions but by government. Union organizations have been extremely effective in advocating the cause of their members in the halls of government at the federal, state, and county levels. Every day unions fight hard for their members in Congress, state legislatures, city hall, the courts and other departments and agencies of government.
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**AFA Milestones** -
- In 1971, AFA pressed the courts and the courts prohibit airlines from refusing to hire males and find United's no-marriage rule illegal.
- 1974, Court rules NWA must pay female flight attendants same scale as males
- 1975, AFA challenges requirement that FAs stop working upon pregnancy
- 1979, AFA litigation results in liberalizing airlines' weight policies
- 1981, AFA campaign helps kill FAA plan to reduce the number of cabin crew members
- 1987, after years of lobbying from AFA, the FAA issue a policy limiting number of passenger carry-on bags
- 1988, AFA lobbying before Congress results in smoking ban on domestic flights of two hours or less
- 1990, AFA petitions FAA to apply OHSA standards to FAs. Smoking ban for all domestic flights.
- 1996, AFA's agressive pursuit of safety issues after Everglades Value Jet crash provkes major safety changes at FAA, shifting agency's focus to safety
- 1998, AFA fights to limit carry-on baggage, introducing proposed rule to the FAA restricting size and weight of carry-ons.
- 2000, after intense lobbying, AFA wins legislative victories: whistleblower protection, increased penalties for crewmember interference, study of cabin air quality, international smoking ban
- 2001, AFA fights to protect thousands of furloughed FAs who lost their jobs as a result of the 2001 terrorist attacks
- 2002, AFA continues to lobby for improved security, including certification for all FAs and press airlines to provide mandatory safety training.
- 2003, AFA year long battle on Capitol Hill, results in Congress passing flight attendant certification legislation
- 2007, AFA convinces Congress to pass legally binding seniority protection for airline workers involved in airline mergers.
- 2007, AFA pressures Congress to enact and fund the first comprehensive FA fatigue study in the history of the industry
- 2009, AFA's petition to reclassify FAs from personal care and service workers to transportation and material moving occupations (same as pilots, mechanics) in Fed govt's SOC
- AFA lobbied for, and successfully implemented same-sex and Domestic Partner benefits for FAs. Non-Unionized carriers implemented these AFTER they were govt mandated
- AFA that conceptualized, worked for, and won reciprocal jumpseats for FAs. Nonunionized FAs are enjoying the benefits thanks to AFA
- 2009, AFA still working for bankrupt ATA FAs
- In April 2009, after the USHealth and Human SErvices declaration that Swine Flu had created a public health emergency nationwide, AFA formally requested that the FAA issue an emergency order requiring airlines to: Provide non-latex gloves and appropriate masks to FAs, at least on trips to, from and within areas of increased risk. At the very least, allow FAs to wear their own gloves/masks without discipline; Ensure aircraft equipped with proper and sufficient hand washing amterials and emphasizing importance of meticulous hygiene; Develop and implement and enforce passenger screening as recommended by the WHO, CDC or the relevant national health officials; Tell FAs what steps to take if a passenger shows symptoms.