September 24, 2013
Dear AFA Member:
The AFA-CWA Board of Directors (BOD) is the highest governing body of our union, consisting of the officers who are elected by members at each airline and base or Local Council. Directly-elected Flight Attendants set the priorities and objectives of our union. Yesterday, these leaders came together in special session to address timely policy issues and objectives for our union.
First on the agenda was a discussion about the US Airways/American merger that affects AFA members from four airlines: American Eagle, Piedmont, PSA and US Airways.
The US Airways MEC presented the intense work done over the past year and a half that culminated in a ratified contract only weeks following the official announcement of the new merger. In addition to industry-leading job security, the new single contract, also provides the opportunity to achieve additional improvements at the new American. The leaders discussed their efforts to work with representatives of the American Flight Attendants to address the issues of concern in a merger: contract, seniority protection, representation.
The AFA-CWA Board of Directors voted unanimously to support US Airways Flight Attendants in our efforts to secure the best contract with our American flying partners once this merger is approved. In addition, the BOD reaffirmed our union’s first priority to unite all Flight Attendants – and they committed the support and resources to achieve this at the new American.
The leaders also discussed the merger agreement with CWA that uniquely increases our collective power through our partnership with the 700,000 member union while we retain the right to determine our policies and objectives in our union of, by and for Flight Attendants. The merger agreement, approved by membership ratification in 2003 and which became effective January 1, 2004, may be found on our website at http://cb.afa-bod.org/
There are a lot of challenges and opportunities before us at all of our airlines and across the industry. Our union has never shied from a challenge. Our history is rich with many accomplishments rooted in our first objective: “To unite all cabin crew members in the airline industry regardless of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression who are eligible for membership.” This year alone we experience the product of our commitment to this objective through incredible social change. Working within our democracy is hard, but it leads to better results because we are all involved.
At the end of the day, as is the case with this Board meeting, we walk forward in unity because that is our commitment to each other and that is how we make a difference for our flying partners and our families.
In Solidarity,
Veda Shook
AFA International President
Sara Nelson
AFA International Vice President
Kevin Creighan
AFA International Secretary-Treasurer
