Flight Attendants Protest At Houston Airport Against Knives In The Passenger Cabin

Washington, DC, May 17, 2013 – The Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions and industry stakeholders will hold a press conference Monday, May 20, 2013 at Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to continue engaging the traveling public in efforts to keep the passenger cabin free of knives that have been used as weapons. According to a recent Washington Post article “now the chatter is that the TSA may decide to put the new rules into effect over the Memorial Day weekend.”

The TSA’s delayed policy to allow knives into the passenger cabin has been opposed by Flight Attendants, gate agents, TSA officers, air marshals, law enforcement officers, FBI agents, pilots, passengers, 9/11 families and airlines. Nine organizations representing 400,000 members of these groups filed a legal petition with the TSA in opposition to permitting knives in the cabin, reserving their right to take legal action against implementation. Airlines for America (A4A), representing airlines such as United, US Airways, Delta, Alaska and American, joined the legal petition on May 16, 2013 and states “… the new policy should be rescinded immediately.” Full Media Release>>

Press Conference “No Knives, Ever Again”
Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Terminal A Departure Level Lobby, Near Space Cow
May 20, 2013, 11:30 am Central Time

Flight Attendants Protest At Charlotte Airport Against Knives In The Passenger Cabin

Reports Indicate TSA to Permit Knives, Slow Security, over Memorial Day

Washington, DC, May 15, 2013 – Flight Attendants will hold a press conference Thursday, May 16 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to continue to engage the traveling public in efforts to keep the aircraft cabin free of knives that have been used as weapons. According to a recent Washington Post article “now the chatter is that the TSA may decide to put the new rules into effect over the Memorial Day weekend.” TSA officers have expressed concern not only with the dangers of allowing knives in the security checkpoints and beyond, but also noted that these new procedures would slow security lines.

The TSA’s delayed policy to allow knives into the aircraft cabin has been opposed by Flight Attendants, gate agents, TSA officers, air marshals, law enforcement officers, FBI agents, pilots, passengers, 9/11 families and airlines. Last week nine organizations representing 400,000 members of these groups filed a legal petition with the TSA in opposition to permitting knives in the cabin, reserving their right to take legal action against implementation. Flight Attendants, including the 60,000 represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), have opposed the ill-advised plan from the start and remain resolute: No Knives on Planes Ever Again. Full Media Release>>

Press Conference “No Knives, Ever Again”
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Baggage Claim, Zone E
Across from International Arrivals
May 16, 2013, 12:00 pm Eastern Time

Organizations Representing 400,000 On The Front Lines Of U.S. Aviation Submit Legal Petition To TSA And Homeland Security To Keep All Knives Off Planes

Washington, D.C., May 6, 2013 – Lawyers for nine organizations representing 400,000 aviation professionals, passengers and law enforcement officers today filed a legal petition with Transportation Security Administrator John Pistole and copied to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano seeking to rescind plans to allow knives in the aircraft cabins for the first time since 9/11.

“The Transportation Security Administration and the Homeland Security Department cannot dismiss the grave security concerns of 400,000 people on the front lines of U.S. aviation, including TSA’s own Transportation Security Officers and Air Marshals,” the coalition asserted. The coalition also includes flight attendants, gate agents, pilots, law enforcement and passengers.

The petition makes five critical points:

– Permitting knives in the cabin is an unnecessary risk to the traveling public and violates the Administrator’s duty—as set out by Congress. A TSA-approved knife could be used to stab or kill a passenger, crew member, federal air marshal, gate agent or TSA Security Officer by a terrorist, mentally ill person or drug or alcohol-impaired passenger. A TSA-approved a knife could be used to hijack a plane.

– It would be irresponsible to relax the TSA’s existing policy on knives when virtually every organization representing those directly affected by the change adamantly opposes it on safety and security grounds.

– Federal regulations currently ban all weapons on airplanes and in airport secure areas, and a knife is a weapon.

– TSA’s argument for the change is false. TSA says the change would bring the US in line with the international standard for knives. There is no international standard for knives: Canada, Israel and Taiwan – to name a few – ban knives on planes.

– One of the nation’s foremost experts on knives provides testimony stating that with many folding knives the only way to be certain whether its blade locks is to open the knife. However, TSA has instructed its Officers to screen knives in only a closed position. Consequently, knives that lock will inevitably wind up on airport concourses and aircraft cabins. Should TSA change its directive and allow TSA’s officer to directly examine knives at security checkpoints, the Officers would have to devote substantially more time to screening knives and security lines would slow.  Full Media Release>>

Delta Connection Flight Attendants at Compass Airlines Ratify First Contract On Eve Of Carrier’s Sixth Anniversary

Washington, DC, May 1, 2013 - Six years after Compass Airlines began commercial operations, Compass Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), ratified their first contract today with an overwhelming 99 percent of those participating voting in favor of the five-year agreement. The agreement, reached with the assistance of the National Mediation Board, provides immediate economic improvements as well as enhanced job security and protections. The AFA negotiating committee was able to reach an agreement after intense support and solidarity from the nearly 450 Flight Attendants. Full Media Release>>

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants File For Mediation

Washington, DC, May 1, 2013 – Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), today filed for mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB).  Today is the one-year anniversary of the contract’s amendable date.

“For the last three contracts, Flight Attendants responded to management’s plea to keep costs low while the airline created a winning strategy,” said Jeffrey Peterson, AFA president at Alaska Airlines. “We partnered with them in good faith.  As a result, we have fallen far behind our airline peers in compensation in most pay steps and pay rules.” Full Media Release>>

Strike Looms Closer At US Airways Express

No Flight Attendant Agreement Reached After Recent Negotiations

Washington, DC, April 30, 2013– The reality of a strike at US Airways Express carrier Piedmont Airlines appears to be drawing closer after continued stonewalling by management throughout contract negotiations. Piedmont Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), has been working to reach an agreement that is beneficial to crewmembers and to the airline. Meanwhile, management has presented unreasonable proposals and has frequently made regressive proposals in bargaining.

“Piedmont Flight Attendants are standing up for our share in the success of our airline. Our professional contributions have been instrumental for Piedmont and US Airways and we fully expect that those efforts be recognized,” said Anita Jwanouskos, AFA Piedmont President. Full Media Release>>

Udall-Led Proposal to End Flight Delays, Long Lines at Airports Passes U.S. House of Representatives, Flies to President’s Desk

Bipartisan Deal Will End Sequestration’s Costly Drag on Travelers, Businesses, Commerce

April 26, 2013- Mark Udall welcomed the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote today to send his bipartisan deal to end long lines and delays at the nation’s airports to the president’s desk. The Udall-led deal, which unanimously passed the U.S. Senate earlier this week, gives the U.S. Secretary of Transportation the flexibility to avoid further furloughs of essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration. The deal, which leaders in the airline and travel industries have said will get our airlines back on schedule and bolster passenger safety, now heads to the White House to be signed into law.

“Colorado’s airports are some of the most important economic drivers in our communities. The indiscriminate, automatic budget cuts of sequestration not only threatened the convenience of the traveling public, but also created an unacceptable and avoidable drag on our resurgent economy," Udall said. “Washington-style brinksmanship threatened to cripple travel, tourism, business and commerce. That’s why I was proud to rally a bipartisan coalition in the Senate to unchain our airports and restore common sense to the FAA. I am proud the U.S. House of Representatives has joined me in supporting middle-class families and our nation’s businesses by sending this important bipartisan solution to the president’s desk.” Full Article>>

Senate Passes Measure to End Airport Delays

April 25, 2013, 9:00pm EDT - The Senate passed a bill on Thursday evening to end air traffic controller furloughs caused by the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester that have been blamed for mounting flight delays across the country.

The passage of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), capped a day of scrambling that saw lawmakers alternate between trying to pass a quick legislative fix for the air traffic controllers' furloughs and point fingers at each other for the flight delays they caused. Full Article>>

TSA Delays Knives On Planes – Flight Attendants Accept Temporary Reprieve For Aviation Security

Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions Remains Resolute: No Knives, Ever Again

Washington, DC, April 22, 2013 - In the face of a huge backlash from Flight Attendants, nearly every other stakeholder in aviation and the public, the Transportation Security Administration today postponed its plan to allow knives on US flights starting Thursday, April 25. But the 90,000-member Flight Attendants Union Coalition, which has opposed the TSA's ill- advised plan from the start, remains resolute: No Knives on Planes Ever Again.

The United States has banned all knives from commercial flights since the September 11, 2001, attacks for good reason: Knives were the terrorists' weapons of choice in bringing down four jetliners and murdering thousands of Americans. All knives should be banned from planes permanently. If the TSA wishes to explore a drastic departure from this logical, 11-year-old policy, it must comply with the rule-making requirements that it should have observed when it first announced its decision to allow knives on planes on March 5. Full Media Release>>

Coalition Of Flight Attendant Unions Calls On Homeland Security Napolitano To Halt Weakening Of Aviation Security As The Country Battles Terrorist Activity

9/11 Flight Attendant Alfred Marchand Widow And Mother Of Current Flight Attendant Tells TSA To "Think Of The Families"- Keep Knives Off Planes

Rebecca Marchand Meets with Lawmakers Following Boston Tragedy

Washington, DC, April 16, 2013 – The Flight Attendants’ Union Coalition, representing 90,000 Flight Attendants at carriers across the country, released an open letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole from Rebecca Marchand, widow of Flight Attendant Alfred Marchand who was murdered by men with small knives on 9/11, United flight 175. She is also a mother of a current Flight Attendant.

“The attacks in Boston prove once again that we can’t be selective in our vigilance. We must guard against all threats, big and small,” Marchand writes. “As the wife of a Flight Attendant killed on 9/11, and the mother of a Flight Attendant who flies today, I have earned the right to say this: Knives have NO place on an airplane."

Rebecca Marchand is calling on Congress to make sure the dangerous policy change to allow knives will not be allowed to take effect.  She and her Flight Attendant son are visiting with lawmakers this week to build support for bipartisan legislation that will keep knives off the plane. The No Knives Act of 2013, H.R. 1093 was introduced by Congressmen Ed Markey (D-MA) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) last month. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have called for a reversal of the policy and last month filed a budget amendment resolution aimed at keeping the ban on knives in the aircraft cabin. Full Media Release>>

April 15, 2013

Boston Tragedy: Confirming Wellness of All AFA Members

It is reported this afternoon that at least two large explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon have caused the death of two and several other injuries. It is not yet clear the extent of this incident, nor the actions behind it. We encourage all members to be vigilant across the nation.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA EAP (AFA Employee Assistance Program) Department has activated their response effort to support any potential AFA members affected by the tragedy near the finish line of the Boston Marathon today.

AFA EAP Representatives and local leadership at each airline are in the process of confirming wellness of all crews laying over in Boston. In addition, we are working to confirm the wellness of all Flight Attendants based in Boston or living in the Boston area. Full Article>>

TSA Web Site with updated trainings - click here»