Association of Flight Attendants Calls On Congress For Passage Of FAA Reauthorization
Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today partnered with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and were joined by union representatives from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) and Allied Pilots Association (APA) to call on Congress for immediate passage of a FAA reauthorization bill. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to shut down again on September 16 when the current extension expires.
“Congress could jeopardize the safety of the U.S. air transportation system and will risk thousands of airline employees’ jobs by failing to pass a long-term FAA reauthorization bill that focuses on the FAA’s core mission of providing the safest, most efficient aviation system in the world. We cannot allow political brinkmanship to again trump the safety of the flying public or the jobs of hard-working Americans,” said Veda Shook, AFA International President.
At today’s press conference, union representatives reiterated the urgent need for Congress to finalize a long-term FAA reauthorization bill that improves our aviation infrastructure, grows our economy, and delivers hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
“The FAA reauthorization is essential to allowing our aviation system to grow safely and potentially add thousands of new jobs while securing the tens of thousands of current jobs in the airline sector. Congress must do what is right for U.S. passengers, right for the U.S. economy, and right for hard-working Americans. Congress must pass an FAA reauthorization bill now,” added Shook.
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.
