Flight Attendants Continue to Push for 10 Hours Rest with Senate Champions
Washington, D.C. (September 30, 2016) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today praised the introduction legislation to fight flight attendant fatigue with 10 hours minimum rest, led by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jean Shaheen (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). This bill will improve aviation safety for crew and passengers.
"Proper rest is critical for Flight Attendants to do our work as aviation’s first responders. We will continue to push until the minimum 10 hours rest becomes law. Science confirms Flight Attendant fatigue is real and we must all commit to combat fatigue for the continued safest transportation system in the world. Last year, AFA gained key leader bipartisan support in the House. Today, Senators Blumenthal, Markey, Shaheen, Brown and Cantwell have continued to push to close this loophole in aviation safety by requiring proper rest for Flight Attendants,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson.
This bill would harmonize bi-partisan language currently in the House AIRR Act.
“Too often flight attendants are pushed to the brink, enduring grueling shifts in the sky with little time off for rest,” Sen. Blumenthal said. “Flight attendants are the first responders when we fly, and we are all safer when they are confidently able to do their job. This commonsense bill would protect overworked flight attendants by requiring airlines to include flight attendants in their fatigue risk management plans and ensuring they get reasonable opportunities for rest. It’s time to restore some sanity to our skies.”
These important safety policies, 10 hours minimum rest and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan (FRMP) for flight attendants, were included in the House reauthorization bill. The Senate version included a FRMP for flight attendants. Congress failed to include either in the FAA extension passed earlier this year.
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The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 71 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 50,000 Flight Attendants at 18 carriers 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.
