Flight Attendant Union Set to Urge Congress to Oppose Fast Track
Washington, DC (March 3, 2015) – Members of The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) will assemble on Capitol Hill Wednesday in their continued effort to push Congress to oppose granting Fast Track Authority for secretly negotiated trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The AFA “Fly-In” is part of an all-day advocacy push on Capitol Hill by members of the AFL-CIO and other smart trade advocates, carrying the message that fast tracking bad trade deals will once again lead to lower wages, off-shored jobs, and yet another burden for working Americans.
“If Fast Track Authority passes, Congress won’t have the chance to amend the Trans-Pacific Partnership, let alone read it, and this applies to all other trade deals moving forward no matter who sits in the White House or controls Congress,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson. “We wouldn’t approve a contract without reading it, and Congress shouldn’t either.”
Nelson will meet with key Senators and then join Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) and other Members of Congress for a Noon press conference highlighting the breadth and depth of national opposition to granting Fast Track Authority.
“Our country hasn’t fast tracked human rights issues including equal rights, equal access to education, or equal pay for women,” Nelson said. “Why do these trade deals that increase the rights of multi-national corporations get preferential treatment? What’s in them that the White House doesn’t want the American people to see?”
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 67 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 60,000 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.
