AirTran and Southwest Flight Attendants Ratify Transiton Agreement
Washington, DC – AirTran Airways Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), today ratified a Seniority Integration and Transition Agreement today. The agreement was reached in December with AFA, Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, and Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents Southwest Flight Attendants, and outlines the full integration of AirTran Flight Attendants into Southwest as the two airlines merge.
“Today, Flight Attendants from AirTran and Southwest took a major step forward in the merging of our two great carriers. We worked hard to achieve an agreement that would provide job security and address transition issues for AirTran Flight Attendants and we look forward to the tremendous future ahead,” said Alison Head, AFA president at AirTran.
AFA's seniority integration policy promotes unity and protects a Flight Attendant's years of service. This ideal method recognizes the contributions of all Flight Attendants. But, in merger such as this one between Southwest and AirTran where Flight Attendants will not be represented by AFA once the merger integration is concluded, AFA has successfully lobbied for seniority protection under the law. In 2011, AFA won a case before the federal court of appeals that confirms a Flight Attendants’ right to a fair and equitable process for seniority integration.
AFA represents the 2,400 Flight Attendants at AirTran Airways.
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 over 65 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 at 23 airlines 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.
