Media Advisory: November 12, 2008
Contact: Camilla Wolkerstorfer 651-226-3881
Northwest Flight Attendants To Testify At Minnesota at Minnesota State Merger Hearing
Northwest Flight Attendants Testify on Merger Effects
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Time: 10:00 am
Minnesota State Office Building
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Committee - Room 5
100 Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Washington, DC - On Thursday, November 13, Northwest Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) will testify before the Metropolitan Affairs Committee for the State of Minnesota and Representative Debra Hilstom to examine how the merger with Delta Air Lines will impact the contracts the state has with the carrier.
“We applaud the state of Minnesota on their continued commitment to evaluating the potential consequences of the merger on the state and citizens of the state,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. “This merger has the potential to break the long standing commitments with Minnesota that has enabled Northwest Airlines to become a viable and successful merger partner, and it also threatens to break Northwest flight attendants’ contract and eliminate the union and destroy over 60 years of collective bargaining rights.”
AFA-CWA will testify alongside other union representatives. Due to archaic National Mediation Board (NMB) guidelines, because Delta flight attendants are not represented, the combined work group must vote to become members of AFA-CWA. If less than 50 percent of Delta and Northwest flight attendants participate in the election, the NMB will declare that vote invalid and Northwest flight attendants will lose their contract.
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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