Flight Attendant Union Commemorates 20th Anniversary of FMLA

Washington, DC–The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) issued the following statement recognizing tomorrow’s 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking, family-friendly legislation, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA:

“For over 20 years, FMLA has helped millions of workers care for themselves and their loved ones without jeopardizing their jobs or their families’ economic security. This law guarantees the freedom of working people to perform one of our fundamental functions as human beings -- caring for the people we love.

“In the past two decades, more than 100 million Americans have benefited from FMLA. When workers have access to tools that encourage balance between work and caregiving responsibilities, they are more productive – increasing quality of life and improving the fabric of our communities. By encouraging corporate responsibility and better labor relations, FMLA has been a tremendous success for both employers and employees alike.

“AFA would like to thank the Department of Labor for their determination and dedication to implementing a technical correction, passed by Congress, that will provide peace of mind and real protections for thousands of Flight Attendants and airline crew who were inadvertently excluded from the original law.

“The passage of FMLA was a giant step in making America a family-friendly nation. Through the tireless efforts of AFA and tens of thousands of Flight Attendants, we were able to close the gap and bring family and medical leave to airline crew on an equal basis. We are grateful for the efforts of the Obama Administration to move forward these important protections for our families.”

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 .