Media Advisory: September 22, 2008
Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
AFA-CWA Asks Congress For Oversight Of The National Mediation Board
National Mediation Board Oversight of Elections for Union Representation Hearing
AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend to Testify
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
2167 Rayburn Office Building
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Washington, DC - On Wednesday, September 24, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) will testify before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the conduct of the National Mediation Board (NMB) and its anti-worker policies.
The NMB is the federal agency in charge of enforcing the Railway Labor Act, which protects workers’ rights to organize unions and engage in free and fair collective bargaining in the U.S. transportation industry. The NMB is run by a three-person board who are appointed by the President of the United States. Over the past eight years, the NMB has not only neglected its basic role in protecting workers, but has served corporate interest time and time again.
Last week, AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend and Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen sent a joint letter to Congress demanding a public hearing be held regarding the NMB’s conduct prior to the finalization of the merger between Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
The hearing will potentially look at the fact that the current chair of the NMB is a former employee and lobbyist for Northwest Airlines at a time when many decisions impacting the merger between her former employer and Delta are being made by the NMB. In the recent election for Delta flight attendant representation, the NMB turned a blind eye to Delta management’s unprecedented anti-union, voter suppression campaign. Additionally, they allowed Delta management to keep a deceased flight attendant on the eligibility list.
For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for flight attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill. More than 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines come together to form AFA-CWA, the world’s largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afanet.org.
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