Flight Attendant Union Testifies Before Senate on Conditions in the Cabin
Washington, D.C. (May 4, 2017) — Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Sara Nelson will testify on conditions in the cabin before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. AFA International President will testify, in part:
“Every day, Flight Attendants and Customer Service Agents working at U.S. airlines or based in the U.S. help tens of thousands of flights and millions of passengers safely travel to their destination without incident. This has become more challenging in recent years with task saturation at boarding and staffing cut significantly, to FAA minimums. There is a rising tension on board our flights and in our airports - in our experience exacerbated by a national narrative full of disrespect for authority, decency and decorum - and fewer of aviation’s first responders to manage it. De-escalating conflict between passengers has become a significant portion of work Flight Attendants perform on each flight. Without recognition of our role and authority in the cabin we are very concerned about the dangerous conditions Flight Attendants and agents may be facing at work.”
Read Nelson's Written Testimony
Witnesses before the Committee:
- Commissioner Ginger S. Evans, Chicago Department of Aviation
- Ms. Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League
- Mr. Scott Kirby, President, United Airlines
- Ms. Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO
- Ms. Sharon Pinkerton, Senior Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Airlines for America
Hearing Details:
Thursday, May 4, 2017
10:30 a.m.
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 71 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.
