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For Immediate Release: May 23, 2012
Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
Flight Attendant Union Secures Senate Advocacy For Inclusion
Into Known Crewmember Alternate Screening
Senate Instruction for TSA to Extend Expedited Security Screening to All
Flight Attendants
Washington, DC, May 23, 2012 – Veda Shook, International President of the
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), the world’s largest Flight Attendant
union, issued a statement after the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Homeland Security responded to AFA advocacy and directed the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) to include Flight Attendants in the successful
alternate security screening program ‘Known Crewmember.’ In addition to funding
the TSA, the Fiscal Year 2013 Homeland Security Appropriations bill requires the
TSA Administrator to “establish procedures allowing members of cabin flight crew
of air carriers to participate in the Known Crewmember program” within 270 days.
Following is Ms. Shook’s statement:
“We thank Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) for her Congressional leadership and for
partnering with AFA to insist that all crewmembers have access to alternate
security screening. From the moment this concept was first discussed, AFA has
been the leading advocate for the inclusion of Flight Attendants in alternate
screening, now referred to as the Known Crewmember program. We fully support
TSA’s implementation of risk-based passenger security screenings as well as
expedited alternate screenings as part of that process.
“In addition to working with influential Congressional leaders such as
Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), AFA has
met with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, as well as
high-level TSA officials, asserting in no uncertain terms that, as first
responders, Flight Attendants are an integral part of the flight crew and should
be included in the alternate screening program TSA currently extends to Pilots.
“Flight Attendants are key partners in the advancement of alternate screening
systems. AFA has played an integral role in supporting resources for the TSA to
make screening more convenient without sacrificing security. Flight Attendants
have the same level of background checks as Pilots and are charged with
protecting the cockpit at all costs. The time is now to include Flight
Attendants in Known Crewmember.”
TSA launched the Known Crewmember program in 2011 in cooperation with the Air
Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Airlines for America (A4A). Despite public
support from ALPA and A4A, who currently sponsor and fund the successful
screening program, TSA continues to consider when or whether to extend
participation to Flight Attendants.
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 over 65 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 at 21 airlines 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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