Today, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) announced the results of members’ vote to authorize a strike if American Airlines refuses to agree to reasonable contract terms. 99.47% of Flight Attendants voted yes to authorize a strike, with93% of eligible Flight Attendants participating.
“Flight Attendants are sending a clear message to American Airlines management: Flight Attendants are fired up and ready for a contract. They ignore this strike vote at their peril,” said Julie Hedrick, National President of APFA and a Flight Attendant. “Our contributions to the success of American Airlines must be respected.”
Thousands of Flight Attendants picket in twelve cities nationwide today to make their frustration known. Carrying picket signs that say “We Are Ready!” and wearing their red WAR pins, they demand that contract negotiations – which the Company has dragged on for more than four years – come to a hasty close with a deal that honors the role of the Flight Attendant. This new contract should contain improvements to quality of life and a raise in pay that Flight Attendants say could not be a moment too soon, with skyrocketing inflation and a job that is harder than ever in the face of additional work duties, difficult scheduling, and passenger aggression.
Conducting a strike authorization vote is an important step toward striking, as outlined by Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act. Contract negotiations with American Airlines have not yet produced a Collective Bargaining Agreement that includes the improvements to pay and quality of life that Flight Attendants need to see.
If American Airlines and APFA cannot reach an agreement in federal mediation, the union could request to be released into a thirty-day cooling-off period, after which 26,000+ American Airlines Flight Attendants would be free to strike the world’s largest carrier.
With the strike vote announced just days before Labor Day, American Airlines management is on notice that Flight Attendants are joining other workers across the county and demanding change. “It was Labor that built this great country, and now it’s off the backs of labor that corporate greed makes its money,” said Julie Hedrick, National President of APFA and a Flight Attendant. “APFA members today sent a strong message to the Company– we are unified and long overdue for a new contract. We are ready and willing to do what it takes.”
This Wednesday, American Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), will hold a series of informational pickets at twelve Flight Attendant bases across the U.S. Announced at these pickets will be the results of the strike authorization vote, a crucial step toward striking. Contract negotiations with American Airlines have not produced a contract that includes the improvements to pay, onboard staffing, and quality of life that Flight Attendants need to see.
More information here. What: Results of the strike authorization vote announced to Flight Attendants as they picket in twelve cities across the U.S.
Who: Flight Attendants will eagerly await the results of the strike authorization vote, in which 26,000+ American Airlines Flight Attendants could make their voices heard as to whether APFA will continue down the path to a strike.
When: Wednesday, August 30, 2023East Coast:(Boston, Charlotte, Washington National, NYC-LaGuardia, Orlando, Miami, Philadelphia): 1100-1300 ET.Central Time Zone:(Chicago/ O’Hare, Dallas/ Ft. Worth): 1000-1200 CT.
West Coast: (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix): 1100-1300 PT.
Where:
BOS:New Location: Statehouse front steps/sidewalk, 24 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02133 CLT: Charlotte/ Douglas International Airport, NW corner of Wilkinson Blvd/Josh Birmingham Pkwy intersection. DCA: Washington National Airport, Terminal 2, ticketing level, North Terrace. DFW: Dallas/ Ft. Worth International Airport, Terminal D, departures, door D40. LAS: Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, Terminal 1, level 1, near door #16 LAX: Los Angeles International Airport, between T4 & Tom Bradley terminal, departures level. LGA:New York/ LaGuardia Airport, Terminal B arrivals/ parking area (outside, past the MTA bus pickups, near the corner of 94th Street). MCO: Orlando International Airport, Terminal B, American Airlines curbside check-in. MIA: Miami International Airport, Terminal D, upper level, Door 1. ORD: Chicago/ O’Hare International Airport, Departures, between T2 and T3 sidewalk. PHL: Philadelphia International Airport, Terminal A West. PHX: New Location: IAM Sky Harbor Lodge 2559, 2727 W. Baseline Rd., Suite 16, Tempe, AZ 85283
Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss whether airlines are ready for the expected surge in holiday travel. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi
Travelers are about to find out whether airlines are prepared for a surge in Thanksgiving passengers.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen about 20 million people between Friday and Nov. 28, almost back to 2019 levels. Many of those travelers skipped Thanksgiving trips last year as Covid cases were rising and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised against travel during the holiday.
Both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said the Sunday after Thanksgiving could be their busiest day since before the pandemic. The airlines forecast this week that between Nov. 19 and Nov. 30, they will fly at least 5.6 million and 4.5 million travelers, respectively.
The increase in travelers is good news for one of the pandemic’s most battered industries. But some airlines have at times struggled to fulfill their ambitious schedules, resulting in high numbers of flight cancellations, most recently at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Getting the balance right is crucial as airlines try to return to profitability, facing challenges from higher fuel prices and new lockdowns in parts of Europe.
Those carriers canceled more than 2,000 flights apiece in less than one-week periods this fall. Delays and cancellations have vexed travelers who have complained about hours-long waits to speak to customer service with hold times sometimes exceeding the duration of their flights.
Staffing struggles
Staffing shortfalls have been a major challenge for airlines, which encouraged thousands of workers to take leaves of absence or early retirement to cut the carriers’ payroll during the pandemic. Now they are racing to hire pilots, reservations agents, flight attendants and other workers. Sick calls have also contributed to disruptions.
Lower staffing levels make it harder for airlines to recover from routine problems like bad weather.
“It’s going to be a busy holiday season,” American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said at The Skift Aviation Forum on Wednesday. “We’re ready for it.”
The carrier expects to fly about 5,000 flights a day during Thanksgiving week with a schedule that’s just 8% below what it flew during that period in 2019.
American is offering flight attendants 50% higher pay for working holiday trips and up to triple pay for those flights if they also meet attendance goals through early January. The Fort Worth-based carrier has also dangled $1,000 holiday attendance incentives to other staff, including at its regional airline subsidiaries. American Airlines pilots’ union rejected the company’s offer for as much as double pay for holiday trips, arguing the airline needs to make permanent changes to its scheduling.
“The planes should be up in the air, not the schedules,” said Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer.
Southwest, for its part, has offered staff frequent flyer miles worth more than $1,400 for meeting attendance goals over the holidays, through early next year.
Video:
From the TSA:
TSA expects surge in travel volume for Thanksgiving, stresses importance of preparedness
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects airport security checkpoints nationwide will be busy during the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period, which runs from Friday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 28, and the agency is prepared to handle the increase in passenger volume for the holiday. TSA expects to screen about 20 million passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday.
“We anticipate that travel may be very close to pre-pandemic levels this holiday, and we are staffed and prepared for the holiday travelers. We have deployed technologies that enhance detection capabilities and reduce physical contact, and it’s equally important that passengers are prepared with travel tips for the most efficient checkpoint experience,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “With overall vaccination rates improving nationwide and greater confidence in healthy travel, there will be more people traveling so plan ahead, remain vigilant and practice kindness.”
Typically, the busiest days during the Thanksgiving travel period are the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward. The highest travel day in TSA’s history was the Sunday after Thanksgiving of 2019 (pre-pandemic), when nearly 2.9 million individuals were screened at TSA security checkpoints nationwide. Travel volume this year is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels, but it is expected to be notably higher in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
The best way to ensure a smooth trip through the security screening process is to arrive early and be prepared. Travelers are encouraged to allow time to park their cars or return rental cars, check their bags with their airline, and get their boarding passes before heading to the security checkpoint. TSA recommends travelers getting to the terminal with plenty of time before their scheduled flight.
“I recommend that travelers pay attention to the guidance that the TSA officers are providing at the checkpoint,” Pekoske added. “They may be directing you to a shorter line or guiding you around someone who is moving slowly. And they may be giving you some advice that will lessen the likelihood that you’ll need a pat-down.”
Additionally, travelers should keep these tips in mind:
Wear a mask. Travelers, TSA personnel, and other aviation workers are required to wear a mask as prescribed by the federal mask mandate. Everyone in airports, bus and rail stations, on passenger aircraft, public transportation, passenger railroads, and over-the-road buses operating on scheduled fixed-routes must wear a mask. If a traveler did not bring a mask, a TSA officer will offer a mask to that individual at the screening checkpoint.
Pack smart. Prepare for security when packing and ensure that there are no prohibited items in baggage. Know which foods should go into a checked bag. Gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam, and preserves should all go into a checked bag, because they are not solids. If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it’s not a solid and should be packed in a checked bag. As always, passengers can bring solid foods such as cakes and other baked goods through the checkpoints.
It’s okay to bring hand sanitizer. TSA is currently allowing travelers to bring one liquid hand sanitizer container up to 12 ounces per passenger in carry-on bags until further notice. Passengers can expect all containers larger 3.4 ounces will need to be screened separately, which will add some time to their checkpoint experience. Travelers also are permitted to bring alcohol wipes or anti-bacterial wipes in carry-on, checked luggage, or both.
Enroll in or renew your TSA PreCheck® membership. Individuals who obtained TSA PreCheck five years ago are now able to renew their membership online at a discount. Individuals who do not have TSA PreCheck should enroll now to get TSA PreCheck benefits, available at more than 200 U.S. airports. Travelers enrolled in a trusted traveler program, like TSA PreCheck, do not need to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets. TSA PreCheck membership is more valuable now than ever before because it reduces touchpoints during the pandemic and puts travelers in security lines that have fewer travelers and move quicker, which encourages social distancing. To find the trusted traveler program that best suits your travel needs, use the DHS trusted traveler comparison tool.
Request passenger support. Travelers or families of passengers with disabilities and/or medical conditions may call the TSA Cares helpline toll free at 855-787-2227 at least 72 hours prior to flying with any questions about screening policies, procedures and to find out what to expect at the security checkpoint. TSA Cares also arranges assistance at the checkpoint.
Get your questions answered before you head to the airport. Ask TSA. Travelers can get assistance in real time by submitting their questions and comments to @AskTSA on Twitter or Facebook Messenger. Travelers can also reach the TSA Contact Center at 866-289-9673. Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends/holidays; and an automated service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ensure you have proper ID. Before heading to the airport, travelers should make sure they have acceptable identification. Identity verification is an important step in the security screening process.
Remain aware. As a reminder, public awareness is key for supporting TSA’s security efforts. Travelers are encouraged to report suspicious activities, and remember: If You See Something, Say Something™. For additional information about TSA’s screening policies, visit www.tsa.gov.
Weather Forecast Map for Thursday, November 25, 2021 (Thanksgiving):
AFA Statement on Protecting Aviation Security Following Insurrection at Capitol
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Sara Nelson, representing nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants at 17 airlines, released the following statement:
“Air travel is safe because everyone follows a strict set of rules, based on the spirit that ‘we’re all in this together.’ The mob mentality behavior that took place on several flights to the D.C. area yesterday was unacceptable and threatened the safety and security of every single person onboard. It will not happen again. There’s a reason that there are strict penalties and fines for failing to comply with crew member instructions. Enforcement keeps everyone safe.
“Our first priority in aviation safety and security is to keep any problems on the ground. Some of the people who traveled in our planes yesterday participated in the insurrection at the Capitol today. Their violent and seditious actions at the Capitol today create further concern about their departure from the DC area. Acts against our democracy, our government, and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight.
“We in aviation have a serious role to play in national security. Airlines, in coordination with TSA, DHS, FAA, DOT and law enforcement must take all steps to ensure the safety and security of passengers and crew by keeping all problems on the ground.”
AFA-Association of Flight Attendants issued this press release:
Dear Secretary Chao and Secretary Azar:
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. Flight attendants are aviation’s first responders, required by federal regulations to help ensure the safety, health, and security of our globally-interconnected aviation system. While this global system is integral to our modern economy, its essential inter-connectedness also provides a convenient pathway for opportunistic pathogens to hitch rides on unsuspecting crewmembers and travelers and spread all over the world. As some of the most frequent travelers, flight attendants feel a deep responsibility to ensure that our workplace risks of acquiring and spreading communicable diseases are minimized as much as possible. We are calling on the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and other relevant agencies, to use its authority to mandate masks in aviation for crew, employees and passengers; require personal protective equipment; and end all leisure travel until the virus is contained.
Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in China, flight attendants have been on the front lines of the growing global pandemic that has now infected more than 2.5M persons worldwide and contributed to over 175K hospital deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.1 Flight attendants have been hard hit by the virus. At airlines employing AFA member flight attendants, at least 250 have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and flight attendants have died as a result of the virus too. The scars run deep; recent media reports document the guilt felt by those who question if we are helping to spread the virus,2 feelings of fear and grief as coworkers die,3 and wonder about when this will all be over.4
Confronting the Virus on the Frontlines of Transportation
Information about the virus has increased and changed in the course of confronting it on the frontlines of transportation. When the novel coronavirus first began to spread, it was believed that the virus was transmitted more or less exclusively through respiratory droplets expelled when persons having COVID-19 symptoms sneeze or cough. The droplets could then be breathed in by another person in close contact, or could settle on a nearby surface to get picked up on another’s fingers, leading to an infection through subsequent contact with the mouth, nose or eyes.
Today, research suggests that the virus may spread in other ways and over greater distances. For example, in hospital wards in Wuhan, China, the virus “was widely distributed on floors, computer mice, trash cans, and sickbed handrails and was detected in air ≈4 m from patients.”5 Two other studies from China call into question the early assumption that only symptomatic persons spread the virus. In the first, the authors write that “[o]ur study confirms asymptomatic and human-to-human transmission through close contacts in familial and hospital settings.”6 In the second, an investigation of a two-family cluster of infected individuals suggests that the “infections resulted from contact with an infected but potentially presymptomatic traveler from the city of Wuhan.”7 Another study from China points to evidence of indirect transmission of the virus in a shopping mall, “perhaps resulting from virus contamination of common objects, virus aerosolization in a confined space, or spread from asymptomatic infected persons.”8
These newer findings support the critical need for strict observance of social distancing9 and cloth- or mask-wearing measures10 to help “flatten the curve”11 until an effective vaccine is available and sufficiently large populations are inoculated. Since the goal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to make a vaccine available for emergency use by early 2021,12 and widespread inoculation will surely take many more months, it is clear that strict public health measures will be necessary for the next year and perhaps longer.
A typical routine for a Flight Attendant workday includes travel from home to the airport, often on public transportation, and at other times in a personal car followed by a bus or shuttle van from the parking lot. Flight attendants then pass by the airport check-in areas and through the security checkpoints, a crew briefing room, and on to the gate. On the airplane, we provide routine and emergency services while interacting frequently and in close proximity to passengers and other crewmembers. After our flying day is done, we take a shuttle, public transport, or car to return home, unless we are on a multi-day trip which includes taking a shuttle from the airport to a layover hotel and finding access to food. On the airplane and at all of these public places, flight attendants come into repeated contact with the general and traveling public.
Mandate Masks in Airports and on Airplanes
Since flight attendant ability to practice social distancing is challenging in the aircraft cabin and on most other forms of public transportation, it is essential that we wear masks as often as possible so long as COVID-19 remains a threat to public health. In addition, passengers on all modes of public transport should be encouraged to wear masks in the short term and mandated by emergency regulation as soon as practicable. This will further minimize risks to themselves, the public transport workforce on which they are reliant, and our healthcare infrastructure, which must cope with the surge of infected patients unless we curb the spread. Seven U.S. states now require wearing masks in public.13 More to the point of transportation specifically, Canada encourages the use of masks on all modes of public transport and requires all air travelers to wear masks that “cover their mouth and nose … at screening checkpoints, … when they cannot physically distance from others, or as directed by the airline employees; and when directed to do so by a public health order or public health official.”14 International air travel has long sought to harmonize procedures for one level of safety to ensure consistency and best practices for operators and passengers.
For travelers using most forms of public transport, the homemade cloth face coverings recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)15 should be sufficient when combined with the additional recommendations below to effectively limit the spread of the virus. For air travelers, we recommend that the federal government provide all airports sufficient numbers of disposable cloth or paper masks that are more effective than homemade masks at limiting viral spread. These should be provided free to all members of the public entering airport buildings with the stipulation that they be worn at all times on airport property and on airplanes, and only removed momentarily when necessary for identity verification or food and drink.
For those transportation sector employees who come into close contact with the traveling public on a regular basis, we recommend that employers be required to provide workers surgical masks or N95 respirators.16 We recognize the need to prioritize respirators for front line healthcare workers; therefore, provision of N95 respirators to non-healthcare workers will necessarily be dependent on sufficient availability. We are hopeful that availability will increase as supply chain bottlenecks clear up with production improvement and reduced rates of COVID-19 hospitalization.
Required Provisions of PPE and Resource Management
In addition to masks, employers must also be required to provide workers clean, properly provisioned handwashing stations with soap and running water and 60% or better alcohol-based rubs/gels or wipes, and disposable gloves and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) as specified by CDC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other relevant federal agencies. For example, for flight attendants tending to sick passengers, CDC recommends the use of PPE contained in Universal Precaution Kits;17 while this is useful guidance, airlines are not required to carry these kits on all flights and they are therefore not always available, so strict federal requirements are clearly in the public interest and a reduction in flights during this crisis assists with resource management.
Protect Essential Service by Air, End Leisure Travel Until Virus Is Contained
Finally, we call on lawmakers and regulators to take further action to limit the spread of the virus by restricting air travel to only that necessary to continue essential services. Airlines are continuing to deliver people, mail, and cargo, uniting families that are grieving or rushing to be with those who have fallen ill, and transporting others who require medical treatment unrelated to the pandemic. These are some of the many essential services provided by aviation to all of our communities – large and small – that must be maintained as the pandemic continues. We believe that protecting this essential service and ensuring air travel is not aiding in spread of the virus requires a halt to all leisure travel until the pandemic is brought under control according to health authorities. We appreciate the swift steps DOT has taken to put in place a process for airlines to request exemptions on flights that do not assist materially in the essential service to our communities. We believe we can all do more together and will work for a brief anti-trust exemption so DOT can coordinate a schedule with airlines to continue essential service only. In addition, we request messaging from all leadership to encourage the public to end leisure travel until we have “flattened the curve.”
Flight attendants, aviation’s first responders, will work tirelessly to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, while staying healthy through careful hand hygiene, social distancing, and the use of appropriate PPE. We look forward to working with our industry and government partners to support our nation’s aviation essential services and help eradicate the COVID-19 threat to public health.
5 Guo Z-D, Wang Z-Y, Zhang S-F, Li X, Li L, Li C, et al. Aerosol and surface distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hospital wards, Wuhan, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jul [April 21, 2020]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200885
6 Li C, Ji F, Wang L, Wang L, Hao J, Dai M, et al. Asymptomatic and human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a 2-family cluster, Xuzhou, China. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jul [April 21, 2020]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200718
7 Tong Z, Tang A, Li K, Li P, Wang H, Yi J, et al. Potential Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Zhejiang Province, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(5):1052-1054. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2605.200198
8 Cai J, Sun W, Huang J, Gamber M, Wu J, He G. Indirect virus transmission in cluster of COVID-19 cases, Wenzhou, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jun [April 21, 2020]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2606.200412
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) today released the following statement on the Department of Transportation’s show cause order proposing parameters for initially implementing the authority granted to the Secretary of Transportation by Sections 4005 and 4114 of the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act). AFA President Sara Nelson said:
“We applaud the Department of Transportation for taking swift action to define continued essential service, which will help curb exposure and spread of the virus. We encourage the administration to take additional steps to cut redundant service that puts airline workers at unnecessary risk. DOT should have the full support of lawmakers and the entire administration to coordinate air travel with this as the objective and AFA will support those actions with comments and pressing for further legislative action.
“The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA supports government and airline efforts to focus on fighting the virus and limiting spread through aviation. To be clear, this is only applicable if the airlines take part in the CARES Act relief. This ties together the health crisis and financial crisis that we must confront at the same time.
“Our union has been working with officials to promote a government coordinated effort to maintain only essential service until our nation has flattened the curve of this virus.
“Our airlines – with flight attendants, pilots, and all of the people on the frontlines of aviation – have played a role in repatriating Americans who were overseas as this global emergency spread and our airlines have transported both medical professionals and supplies to communities to help fight the virus. Aviation’s First Responders have been on the frontlines of helping to deliver both people and supplies, as well as uniting families who are grieving or rushing to be with those who have fallen ill due to the virus or many of life’s tragedies. Some are traveling for medical treatment unrelated to the pandemic. Passenger aircraft carry the vast majority of mail and cargo. For all of these reasons air service is essential, although should be planned to limit contact and exposure such as designating certain flights as cargo only when applicable.
“To be clear, we have been and are currently calling for a halt to leisure travel and coordinated efforts to limit passenger flights to essential service only. We are resolute about this, but it is not an easy task and we support our airlines and our government in navigating this complicated but necessary planning.
“Our union is also calling for Flight Attendant volunteers to help our medical community. As flights are pulled down, it may be that aviation’s first responders have time to help. We are discussing with government and medical support services the critical need for extra hands – either through virtual on-line assistance or hands on at hospitals and medical centers. Flight Attendants who are willing to help may be in a unique position to do so, with our baseline immediate response training and skills among our membership that include credentialed medical professionals. Last night AFA posted a volunteer form for Flight Attendants to indicate their desire to volunteer.
“We must all work together to take actions that eradicate the threat of COVID-19. Aviation’s first responders will continue to do everything we can to support our country’s efforts to save lives and restart our economy.”
On Day 33 of the government shutdown, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Joe DePete, and Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) President Sara Nelson released the following statement:
“We have a growing concern for the safety and security of our members, our airlines, and the traveling public due to the government shutdown. This is already the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States and there is no end in sight. In our risk averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented.
“Due to the shutdown, air traffic controllers, transportation security officers, safety inspectors, air marshals, federal law enforcement officers, FBI agents, and many other critical workers have been working without pay for over a month. Staffing in our air traffic control facilities is already at a 30-year low and controllers are only able to maintain the system’s efficiency and capacity by working overtime, including 10-hour days and 6-day workweeks at many of our nation’s busiest facilities. Due to the shutdown, the FAA has frozen hiring and shuttered its training academy, so there is no plan in effect to fill the FAA’s critical staffing need. Even if the FAA were hiring, it takes two to four years to become fully facility certified and achieve Certified Professional Controller (CPC) status. Almost 20% of CPCs are eligible to retire today. There are no options to keep these professionals at work without a paycheck when they can no longer afford to support their families. When they elect to retire, the National Airspace System (NAS) will be crippled.
“The situation is changing at a rapid pace. Major airports are already seeing security checkpoint closures, with many more potentially to follow. Safety inspectors and federal cyber security staff are not back on the job at pre-shutdown levels, and those not on furlough are working without pay. Last Saturday, TSA management announced that a growing number of officers cannot come to work due to the financial toll of the shutdown. In addition, we are not confident that system-wide analyses of safety reporting data, which is used to identify and implement corrective actions in order to reduce risks and prevent accidents is 100 percent operational due to reduced FAA resources.
“As union leaders, we find it unconscionable that aviation professionals are being asked to work without pay and in an air safety environment that is deteriorating by the day. To avoid disruption to our aviation system, we urge Congress and the White House to take all necessary steps to end this shutdown immediately. “
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), the world’s largest Flight Attendant union representing nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants at 19 carriers, has notified Ebola Response Coordinator Ron Klain and key federal agencies overseeing aviation safety and health of protective and response measures needed to support aviation’s first responders and safe air travel.
AFA’s checklist includes responsible actions for managing and containing communicable diseases. By focusing efforts on prevention for all crewmembers, aircraft cleaning, and a collaborative response plan with airline management in the event of an Ebola exposure in-flight, AFA is leading efforts to minimize, contain, and eradicate the risk of Ebola from being further spread through civil aviation.
Here is the checklist demands:
Ebola and Other Communicable Disease Incident Response Checklists
AFA calls for the federal agencies overseeing aviation safety and health to require that all airlines comply with the following measures.
Prevention for All Crew Members
Provide an adequate supply for every Flight Attendant on all flights of non- allergenic gloves and masks that are determined appropriate protection by the CDC and/or WHO.
Provide an adequate supply of medical gloves and masks that are determined appropriate protection by the CDC and/or WHO for any volunteer medical personnel assisting with medical situations.
Ensure each flight has one universal precaution kit for every Flight Attendant on duty plus two additional kits for intervening healthcare personnel. Universal precaution kits should include all items specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as follows:
Universal precaution kit:
— Dry powder that can convert small liquid spills into a sterile granulated gel — Germicidal disinfectant for surface cleaning
— Skin wipes
— Face/eye mask (separate or combined)
— Gloves (disposable)
— Protective apron
Permit Flight Attendants working on flights to wear gloves anytime during the flight without any discriminatory or disciplinary actions being taken against them.
Issue guidance to all crew in the event that a passenger exhibits signs or symptoms of infectious disease during a flight.
Require pre-flight briefings to communicate the use of universal precaution procedures and equipment to prevent exposure on a flight and to review guidance in the event that a passenger exhibits signs or symptoms of infectious disease during a flight.
Provide an adequate supply of masks and sick bags for any passengers who exhibit symptoms on a flight.
Provide an airsick bag that is immediately available for each passenger.
Ensure all aircraft meet the federal requirements for access to soap and running
water.
Provide on all flights equipment necessary to take temperatures of potentially
infected persons without requiring physical contact with those individuals.
It is a federal requirement to have running water, soap and clean towels on every
flight – but if a flight is scheduled to leave in violation of this regulation then the airline should ensure Flight Attendant(s) has the ability to wash hands with running water and soap prior to departure of every flight and provision a sufficient quantity of sanitary alcohol-based wipes.
Make all of the above stated supplies a no-go item (required for aircraft dispatch).
Aircraft Cleaning
Require airlines to follow CDC recommended guidelines for cleaning aircraft and any contaminated areas after a flight with a sick traveler who may have Ebola or other communicable diseases, including protection and training for the aircraft cleaners.
Crew Members on a Flight with Infected Passenger
Immediately lock-down crew names, similar to an airline incident/accident.
Immediately contact the union leadership with the names, cell phone numbers,
current locations, and in-sheltering locations of impacted crewmembers.
Coordinate with the crewmembers union leadership around any issues related to
care and protection of the crew.
Immediately remove crew with pay and benefits for the entire disease incubation
period.
Provide all resources necessary to safely in-shelter the crewmembers during the
incubation period; for example, safe and secure location with meals and medical supplies provided, including, but not limited to, thermometers for self-monitoring and protective masks.
Cover all medical costs related to potential exposure, including, but not limited to, tests, doctor visits, and medications.
Once the in-sheltering period is over, provide transportation to the crewmember’s choice of base or home.
Provide an external (non-airline employee) mental health professional who can make daily confidential telephonic wellness calls to the in-sheltering crewmember. Crewmembers may accept or decline calls at their own discretion.
Within 8 hours of knowledge of the incident, the company and union will implement the communications plan.
Management Plan Checklist
Establish an unrestricted, transparent, and confidential on-going communication flow plan between the company, union(s), and managing public health authorities.
The company and the union(s) will develop a joint communications plan, including message templates, to be used in the event of a communicable disease related incident aboard an aircraft.
Establish a plan for in-sheltering of crewmembers following a communicable disease related incident aboard an aircraft.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) has issued this statement against Norwegian hiring U.S.-based Flight Attendants:
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) today met with a broad labor coalition and government representatives from Norway to discuss the detrimental effects Norwegian Air International’s attempt to bypass international labor laws will have on aviation workers around the world. AFA, part of a delegation comprised of union representatives, issued the following statement concerning current hiring practices by Norwegian Air International:
“Today we joined our aviation colleagues and industry leaders to discuss strategies and alternatives that would ensure Norwegian does not erode labor laws or the careers of U.S. Flight Attendants as they work to expand their business.
“History has shown that when companies find a way to take advantage of loopholes that assist in evading strong labor provisions, a global race to the bottom begins, leaving behind workers and communities. For nearly 70 years, AFA has been dedicated to protecting the Flight Attendant career, standing against any attempt to create a position that has little room for advancement and no job security. We are concerned that Norwegian’s announcement to hire U.S.-based Flight Attendants to staff international flights undercuts labor laws, paying outsourced workers a fraction of what Norwegian Flight Attendants earn.
“For decades, AFA has worked closely with our counterparts across the world for global labor standards that protect careers and enhance aviation growth. While we are dedicated to creating opportunities that expand business, it is imperative that airlines work collaboratively with unions and workers so that everyone is able to share in the success.
“AFA remains dedicated to our long-standing mission of uniting all Flight Attendants, regardless of carrier. We stand in unity with our counterparts at Norwegian in their fight to retain good jobs. Norwegian’s attempt to outsource Flight Attendant positions, not only bypasses Norway’s labor laws that protect workers, but it erodes careers of U.S. Flight Attendants who have worked for nearly seven decades to build an enduring career.
“In our global aviation environment, it is imperative that we all work together to ensure that workers are treated fairly and are recognized for the role they have in their airline’s success.”
