Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today celebrated the first annual “Founder’s Day” to commemorate the formation of the union 68 years ago and reflect on the vast contributions of AFA’s late co-founder Edith Lauterbach to the world’s largest flight attendant union for nearly seven decades.

“For the first time in AFA’s existence, we observe the founding of our historic union without our guiding light and co-founding member, Edith Edna Lauterbach. Edith and fellow United Flight Attendants Ada Brown Greenfield, Francis Hall, Sally Thometz and Sally Watt Keenan created a platform for unifying and advancing our profession.

“AFA has been a pioneer in the evolution of the Flight Attendant profession and utilized collective bargaining to improve the lives of Flight Attendants through negotiated contracts. That has been AFA’s mission since 1945 and remains our legacy today.

“Today, we stand on the shoulders of five amazing Flight Attendants who started the first union organized, run and controlled by women. Throughout the years, AFA has played a crucial role in advancing the profession and today, Flight Attendants are recognized as aviation’s first responders.

“Our work is not finished and we remain resolute in our mission to advance the career in honor of our founders and the Flight Attendants who continue their work as safety professionals on flights around the world. AFA pledges a strong voice for our profession with government and industry in the regulatory and legislative process. Our member-driven union will continue advancing the issues that matter most to Flight Attendants, including collective bargaining agreements that improve compensation and working conditions.”

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.