Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

West Virginia Teachers Give a Lesson in Union Power

Originally published in The New York Times on March 2, 2018

Before he puts his name to a Supreme Court opinion that is expected to eviscerate public-sector unions, Justice Samuel Alito Jr. should visit West Virginia.

Take the Sexual Harassment Survey

A national discussion on sexual assault and sexual harassment is taking place - and now is the time to do everything we can to eradicate this from our workplace. As AFA wrote in a recent Op-Ed in The Washington Post, "Our union was formed to give women a voice and to beat back discrimination and misogyny faced on the job. We defined our careers at the bargaining table, in the courts and on Capitol Hill." But the industry never denounced that era and it is time to stamp it out for good. No more "Coffee, Tea, or Me."

Flight attendants and passengers call for clearer policies around sexual assault on planes

Originally published by PBS NewsHour on February 11, 2018

In 2017, the FBI investigated 63 allegations of sexual assault on airplanes, with several public figures speaking out about their own experiences. But no database tracks these incidents, and airlines are not required to report them to the federal government. Meanwhile, cabin crew report that training on how to handle harassment and assault is inadequate. NewsHour Weekend's Megan Thompson reports.

‘It’s pervasive, it’s every day’ — How a history of sexism in the airline industry echoes today

Originally published by PBS NewsHour on February 11, 2018

Sara Nelson said she got her initial lesson on sexism in the airline industry during one of her first days on the job, when a fellow flight attendant told her, ”No one is going to have respect for you other than your other flying partners. The management here thinks of you as their wives or their mistresses, and they hold you in contempt.”

AFA EAP: Protecting Yourself from Sexual Violence

 Flight Attendants, male and female are not immune from the risks of violence- including sexual assaults. Consider the following statistics on rapes and attempted rapes from the Department of Justice:

The Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study is in the midst of its third wave of participant recruitment for the study. The researchers are able to reach many Flight Attendants who previously participated via email, but they are also looking to recruit participants at airports throughout the country. This also allows Flight Attendants to meet the researchers face to face and ask questions in person. If you are not yet familiar with their work or this ongoing study that AFA has encouraged since they started in 2007 go to: fahealth.org.

Where Did Your Pay Raise Go? It May Have Become a Bonus

Originally published in the New York Times in February 10, 2018

The recent stock market rumpus has been set off in part by fears that a tight labor market and quickening wage growth are a foretaste of higher inflation and interest rates. But sustained raises for American workers may be possible only if employers can break a habit: handing out one-time bonuses in place of salary increases.