In a September 16 announcement to their flying partners, Republic Airways Holdings Flight Attendant activists from bases across the system launched a campaign for AFA-CWA representation. If a sufficient number of official authorization cards are signed by Republic Airlines, Shuttle America, and Chautauqua Airlines Flight Attendants—those who make up Republic Airways Holdings, an election with AFA on the ballot will be triggered.
Republic Airways Flight Attendants know that joining AFA means better representation: they want their own local, the ability to elect their own representatives, and the Flight Attendant-specific structure that only exists in AFA, the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. If Republic Airways Flight Attendants join AFA, they won’t be the only ones to benefit. Republic Airways does flying for United, US Airways, Frontier and Delta: the terms and conditions of their work impact all of us. Just as strong contracts at legacy carriers can lift standards at regional carriers, strong contracts at regional carriers protect contracts at larger carriers from downward pressure. In concert with Republic Airways Flight Attendants, we can build leverage to protect and improve our existing contracts.
As airline consolidation continues, it is more important than ever for Flight Attendants to unify, working together to strengthen our contracts and working conditions and to protect our flying, rather than standing idly by while Wall Street extracts profits by merging, spinning off and dissolving our airlines. Wall Street investors, Indigo Partners, are poised to purchase Frontier with plans to transform it into an ultra low-cost carrier modeled after Spirit Airlines. Their plan would funnel profits from the airline directly into the pockets of Wall Street investors, bypassing the workers who actually add value to the airline.
This campaign is moving quickly and an election could be triggered by the end of October, so now is the time to get involved. If you have flying partners at Republic Airlines, Shuttle America, and Chautauqua Airlines, please urge them to sign an authorization card. Campaign information, including official authorization cards, can be found at yourafa.org.
