Bargaining Summit, Leadership Training, DC Rally, Boeing Picket
Your Local Vice President, Joshua Haimes, has been on the road at four different events! September 21 & 22 in Washington, DC. at the regional bargaining summit, union leaders from various regional airlines gathered to exchange strategies and insights, aiming to strengthen their collective bargaining power as individual airlines and together in solidarity fighting the same fights together. Complementing this event in Philadelphia on September 23 & 24, an advanced leadership training session equipped attendees with a deeper understanding of effective leadership dynamics. On September 25, a rally in Washington, D.C. energized union leaders, uniting voices in support of fair labor practices and obtaining contracts NOW. This confluence of events not only enhanced individual capabilities but also solidified a commitment to advocating for workers' rights on a broader scale. To cap off the week, on September 26, AFA joined Boeing machinists on their picket line in solidarity.
AFA Regional Airline Leaders Come Together to End Tiers in Aviation
AFA Leaders from regional airlines gathered for two days of strategizing and Solidarity earlier this week in Washington, D.C. Regional Flight Attendants fly the same routes and do the same work as all Flight Attendants. But their pay is closing in on half as much and their work has been moved from smaller town airport to major hubs.
The regional airline business model benefits executives and shareholders at Delta, United, American, and Alaska by keeping pay and benefits for Flight Attendants and other workers in poverty levels. Management works to pit workers against each other to hide the fact that they’re the ones keeping wages low.
The Regional Bargaining Summit brought us together to raise the standards for Regional Flight Attendants and our careers as a whole. As long as one Flight Attendant is undervalued, we’re all — mainline, regional, niche, charter — at risk.
Management can’t continue their race to the bottom at our expense. We’re ready to bring this fight to the real decision makers Delta, United, American, and Alaska. And we’re ready to use the right to strike to reject the idea that regional contracts should be compared to other regional contracts rather than Flight Attendant contracts across the industry.
The fight is coming up fast at Air Wisconsin and PSA where Flight Attendants turned out 99% strike votes, but Mesa and GoJet are not far behind, and HORIZON is gearing up now. Endeavor Flight Attendants have been leading on defining the problem through their Delta Disparity Difference campaign (next picketing Oct 3rd in Atlanta). The fact is that the bargaining at one airline matters to all of us and we’re coordinating our demands and our fight to use our collective power for change.
Rally at the Regional Airline Association leaders conference
The Summit culminated in a powerful display of Solidarity, when Flight Attendants representing nine airlines picketed outside the Regional Airline Association (RAA) conference. Regional airline management facilitates the cruel model perpetuated by major airlines as they pit the regionals against each other to drive the lowest fees for flights operated, on the same routes, and with the same passengers buying tickets through the major airlines. Just as RAA conference attendees came together, we came together to show them we won’t be divided in the fight to end tiers in aviation.
They heard us loud and clear
Watch the video recap which features your Vice President
Joining Boeing Machinist on their Picket Line
AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson, AFA Alaska, and Council 16 was out on the picket in Renton with IAM District 751! Solidarity with Boeing workers.
"Stronger Together, Better Together"