Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

The Jobs Crisis Does Not Stop for the Election

October 30, 2020 — The Senate has been adjourned. The election is on Tuesday. We absolutely should have our Payroll Support Program (PSP) extension. In a rational world, the PSP would be in place and we would have our jobs and security. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for our PSP extension — because of our actions. Instead, 100,000 aviation workers are without a paycheck, some without healthcare.

This crisis does not stop because of an election and we cannot wait until a new Congress for relief. We are not giving up. We are continuing to demand relief and right now our airlines are sticking with us. 

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Flight Attendants, aviation workers, and millions of Americans are out of work right now. We need this relief now. Every day counts when people are losing healthcare, unable to access unemployment, falling behind on rent or mortgages. Our industry is just at 40% of a year ago, revenue half of that, and virtually no business travel. 

Just this week, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) presented a new analysis showing that the airline industry cannot slash costs sufficiently to neutralize severe cash burn to avoid bankruptcies and preserve jobs in 2021 and reiterated its call for government relief measures to sustain airlines financially and avoid massive furloughs.

As Flight Attendants, we are mission driven on our careers. We’re going to stick together as one crew to get this done. 

What can you do now:

1. Call your Representative and Senators.
   
   SENATE: 888-848-4824
   HOUSE: 888-907-9365

   "Hello, I am a constituent calling to tell my (Senator/Representative) that aviation workers are out of time. We need #ReliefNow -- TODAY! Furloughs have begun and more are expected. We need relief and an extension of the Payroll Support Program. Without an extension of this successful jobs and infrastructure program, the mass job loss will continue and more communities will lose air service. This is just the start. Inaction is not an option. We need a full COVID-19 relief bill to #ExtendPSP now. Thank you.”

2. Tweet your Representative and Senators.

3. Send your furlough stories as a video or a written description with a picture to [email protected].

4. VOTE. Visit vote411.org/afacwa to make a plan.