FMLA FAIRNESS

WE MUST TAKE ACTION!

 DELTA FLIGHT ATTENDANTS UNION VOTE

AFA-CWA Northwest Airlines MEC: Northwest Flight Attendants Vow To Defend Contract As Delta Flight Attendant Election is Voided

AFA-CWA’s Flight Crew FMLA Bill Passes in House of Representatives!

On May 20, an unprecedented bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives passed our amendment to the Family and Medical Leave Act with 402 members in favor and nine against, in a special “suspension vote” reserved only for bills that are known in advance to have overwhelming support. (The House Committee on Education and Labor unanimously approved the bill last week before sending it to the full House for a vote.)

This victory is a direct result of AFA-CWA members’ tens of thousands of letters, phone calls, and face-to-face visits with Representatives that garnered the support that allowed the bill to literally sail through the House of Representatives.

In the words of Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) as she addressed the House prior to the suspension vote: "I would like to thank the flight attendants in my district that came in to see me on this topic for all their help."

Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), who was the original sponsor of the House bill, told his fellow members of Congress: "I also want to thank the flight attendants for their tireless advocacy of their bill and the many long hours of work that they put in to secure approximately 240 cosponsors for this bill. I think the fact that we were able to generate so many cosponsors is a testament to the fact that this is a carefully and narrowly crafted bill that addresses an inequity that was never intended in the original law."

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, eligible workers can take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period in order to care for a sick relative or a new child or to recover from illness. To qualify for FMLA under current law, an employee must have worked at least 60 percent of a normal 40-hour work week in the 12 months preceding leave, which is 1,250 hours annually. Of our work time, however, it is only our in-flight hours that are counted and not the many hours we spend between flights and away from home. As a result, a full-time schedule for a flight attendant or pilot is almost always less than the hours needed to qualify for FMLA. Under H.R. 2744, a flight attendant or pilot will be eligible for FMLA leave if he or she has been paid for or worked a minimum of 504 hours a year and at least 60 percent of the employer’s monthly guarantee or the equivalent, in the 12 months preceding the leave.

With our focus now on passage of the Senate bill, S. 2059, which has 26 bipartisan co-sponsors of the 66 needed for passage, AFA-CWA is gearing up for our final push in securing FMLA protections for flight attendants.  AFA Press Release:  Flight Attendants One Step Closer To FMLA Coverage

Please contact your Senators to ask them to co-sponsor S. 2059, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act!
 

AFA-CWA Testifies on Capitol Hill regarding the Delta/Northwest Merger

AFA-CWA International Vice President Veda Shook testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the effects the pending merger will have on flight attendants and other employees, and potential solutions to the worst aspects of the merger. Flight attendant careers at Delta and Northwest, as well as those of other aviation employees, are threatened by the merger due to the fact that there are virtually no federal protections for employees in these situations. The only protections employees have today is through their individual unions and collective bargaining agreements.

To read AFA-CWA's testimony, click here .

Related: Delta-Northwest Merger section on afanet.org
 

Information for Aloha and ATA Airlines Flight Attendants

ShareAloha is a community of friends and family offering help and support for the Aloha Airlines Family during this difficult season of transition. http://sharealoha.wordpress.com

EAP -  AFA-CWA Employee Assistance Program has many resources available, including links to unemployment resources and surviving a layoff.

Future Union Leaders: Scholarships Available
To encourage women and people of color to become union leaders, the AFL-CIO Union Privilege program is offering scholarships ranging from $500 to $3,000, along with a personalized mentoring program. The scholarships are intended to help future leaders with the cost of education or training to pursue union career goals and leadership skills. Winners of the one-time cash awards may re-apply for future awards. A special mentoring program will match scholarship winners with current union leaders. Applications must be postmarked by May 30, 2008. For more information, visit www.unionplus.org/benefits/education/scholarships/diversity.cfm

The Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation.
 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in partnership with American Association of Community colleges (AACC) is conducting trainings. For dates, locations and Points of Contacts (POCs) for 2006-2007, for the "Crew Member Self-Defense Training (CMSDT)" Program, click here..

TSA Web Site with updated trainings - click here