Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

In the span of a single week, three airline tragedies have shaken the global aviation community.

On Thursday, July 24, news broke of the disappearance over West Africa of Air Algerie Flight AH5017 about 50 minutes after it left Burkina Faso. It was carrying 116 people.

On Wednesday, July 23, a TransAsia Airways passenger plane crashed on one of Taiwan's Penghu Islands in the high winds of Typhoon Matmo killing 48 people.

July 17, 2014 - We are deeply saddened by today’s reports that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was shot down near the Russian-Ukrainian border. The flight had 15 crew members and 280 passengers on board.

As aviation’s first responders, we have dedicated our careers to maintaining the highest levels of safety and security in the aircraft cabin, and the news of Flight 17 strikes at the heart of our union. As we wait for answers to the many questions surrounding this incident, we hold the crew, passengers and their families in our hearts and minds.

Enforcement of new OSHA protections for Flight Attendants began on March 26, 2014, six months after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) corrected rules that excluded the passenger cabin.

June 1, 2014

Today marks the start of a new four year term of office for our AFA-CWA international officers.

Our new officers are:

Sara Nelson, International President
Debora Sutor, International Vice President
Kevin Creighan, International Secretary-Treasurer

Today, April 28, is Workers’ Memorial Day, a day when we stand with all of organized labor to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured on the job. As Flight Attendants, we hold close to our hearts the heroism of our flying partners who have given their lives for the profession we love in their role as first responders in aviation, and we renew our commitment to fight for safe workplaces, be they on the ground or in the air.

AFA-CWA’s expertise in developing Flight Attendant training was recognized yet again with an invitation to participate in the FAA’s Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ACT ARC), in addition to AFA’s leadership in developing global training standards, as published by a United Nations specialized agency.

NAFTA on steroids. The biggest trade deal you’ve never heard of. Flags of Convenience. If these labels sound familiar, you’ve been paying attention: U.S. aviation workers are about to take a one-two punch -- unless we take action now.