Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

Flight Attendants Call Out Lawmakers Who Fail to Pass Aviation Funding Bill

Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Veda Shook issued the following statement today after House Republican leadership left the Capitol for summer vacation without passing reauthorization funding of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The 10-day partial shutdown of the vital agency overseeing the safe passage of millions of travelers has been extended indefinitely:

“Today, across the nation, tens of thousands of hardworking Americans are still without a job because House Republicans who control the schedule and agenda have decided that taking a summer vacation is priority number one. We are appalled and shocked by their lack of leadership and irresponsible actions.

“It is unconscionable that lawmakers would leave for summer vacation while over 70,000 workers including FAA employees, construction workers, engineers, scientists, architects and others are left without a job. This complete abdication of responsibility is shortsighted and senseless.

“These elected representatives were hired to advocate for the best interests of their constituents and the country. However, over the next month, while these members of Congress are on vacation with their families, their constituents who are unemployed due to the shutdown will struggle just to feed their families and make ends meet. That is inexcusable.

“Since the partial shutdown on July 23, the FAA has been forced to halt over 200 safety and improvement projects that are essential to the future of our nation’s aviation infrastructure. By the time Congress returns in September, the FAA alone will have lost over $1 billion in revenue. This affects aviation workers, travelers and our communities as the FAA is unable to fund crucial improvement projects. Each day we fall another day behind in maintaining and advancing the world’s best aviation system.”

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.