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For Immediate Release: March 5, 2013
Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
Flight Attendants Union Coalition Blasts TSA Decision to
Allow Dangerous Items onto Aircraft
Washington, DC – The Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing
nearly 90,000 Flight Attendants at carriers nationwide, issued the
following statement blasting today’s announcement by the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) to allow knives and other dangerous
objects into the aircraft cabin, relaxing an over decade long ban.
“Today’s announcement to permit knives back into the aircraft cabin
is a poor and shortsighted decision by the TSA. Continued prohibition
of these items is an integral layer in making our aviation system
secure and must remain in place.
“As the last line of defense in the cabin and key aviation partners,
we believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the
lives of all Flight Attendants and the passengers we work so hard
to keep safe and secure.
“Flight Attendants are the front line safety and security professionals
onboard every commercial passenger aircraft in this country and
must be given the tools and training to protect ourselves, our passengers
and the aircraft. Despite repeated requests for updated training
to include basic self-defense maneuvers to allow us to defend ourselves,
Flight Attendants still do not receive mandatory training about
how to effectively recognize and defend others against attacks aboard
the aircraft.”
Media Contacts: Contact: Corey Caldwell, AFA-CWA,
ccaldwell@cwa-union.org
; Jamie Horwitz, TWU, media@twu.org
; Leslie Mayo, APFA, communications@apfa.org
; James Carlson, IAM, jcarlson@iamaw.org
; Galen Munroe, IBT, gmunroe@teamster.org
.
The Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions coordinates on issues
of mutual interest to Flight Attendants. Members of the are the
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Association of Professional
Flight Attendants, Transport Workers Union, International Brotherhood
of Teamsters, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers.
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