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For Immediate Release:
October 17, 2012
Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
AFA Flight Attendants at Two Additional Carriers Use Known
Crewmember Program
Washington, DC - Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines and
Horizon Air, represented by the Association of Flight
Attendants-CWA (AFA) today were the latest AFA members to gain
access to the alternate, expedited security screening Known
Crewmember (KCM) program. Alaska and Horizon are subsidiaries of
Alaska Air Group.
“The successful inclusion of Flight Attendants in the Known
Crewmember programs is a result of the collaborative approach
between AFA, government agencies, and airline management,” said
Veda Shook, AFA International President. “By working together
with key stakeholders, we are ensuring that Flight Attendants
across the country have access to this program and are
recognized as key partners in aviation security.”
AFA advocated forcefully at many levels of government and
industry to promote the KCM program with full recognition of
Flight Attendants’ role in aviation security. KCM, developed by
A4A and the Air Line Pilots Association, is an expedited
screening program for authorized and trusted crewmembers at
security screening checkpoints utilizing established security
clearances that each aviation employee must meet as a condition
of employment. Crewmembers, including Flight Attendants and
Pilots, are subject to identical background checks and clearance
procedures.
“The inclusion of Flight Attendants into Known Crewmember is
another well-earned validation of our trusted role as first
responders. AFA has worked very hard to realize this
accomplishment and we are extremely thankful that Alaska Air
Group has been so supportive from the very beginning. This is a
win-win as the TSA will be able to more effectively deploy its
resources and Flight Attendants will no longer need to cut the
line in front of our passengers at participating KCM airports,”
said Jeffrey Peterson, AFA President at Alaska and Leslie
Miller, AFA Acting President at Horizon.
The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest
Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant
issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight
Attendant profession for 67 years. Serving as the voice for
Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in
the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight
Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working
conditions. Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants come together to
form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications
Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at
www.afacwa.org .
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