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 Presently, flight attendants are not afforded OSHA protections. The FAA claimed exclusive jurisdiction over safety and health issues for cabin and flight deck crew in 1975. To this day, no protections exist.
AFA strongly supports OSHA protections for flight attendants and has done so for the past 27 years. The FAA and OSHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August of 2000. Two years have passed and nothing has been done to address the need for workplace protections nor to implement the MOU. The FAA expressed a willingness to work with OSHA in the past. However, this was under Administrator Garvey who has since left FAA.
The workplace for flight attendants isn't one of the most desirable. Oxygen deprivation, recycled air containing engine fumes, pesticides, ozone exposure are daily hazards. Flight attendants are working in a vessel that is subject to unexpected air turbulence at any given moment and if all objects are not locked and stowed and flight attendants are not seated a very unstable and potentially injurious situation is created for flight attendants.
AFA is asking that Congress tell the FAA to either give up their exclusive jurisdiction over this matter and give it to OSHA, or work with OSHA in implementing the 2000 MOU to afford flight attendants the protections they deserve.
AFA PRESS RELEASE 2/11/2009:
AFA-CWA Outlines Priorities For FAA Reauthorization
ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, AFL-CIO,
SUPPORTS SAFETY AND HEALTH PROTECTIONS FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
The Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO, representing 50,000 flight attendants at 27 airlines, strongly supports an immediate rescission by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of exclusive jurisdiction over the safety and health of aviation workers.
In 1970, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women." The Act established a wide variety of occupational safety and health protections and introduced formal procedures for inspecting work sites, mandatory reporting and a record keeping system for on-the-job illnesses, injuries, and deaths.
Unfortunately, the OSHAct does not cover all American workers. Section 4(b)(1) permitted other federal agencies to exercise authority over workers that fall under their jurisdiction. In 1975, the Federal Aviation Administration claimed total jurisdiction over crewmember safety and health. As a result, there has been 27 years of neglect in providing flight attendants crucial safety and health protections. To begin to remedy this situation, in August 2000, the FAA and OSHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), in which the agencies agreed to establish a procedure for coordinating and supporting enforcement of the OSHAct with respect to the working conditions of employees and aircraft operations, and for resolving jurisdictional questions. Despite the MOU, flight attendants are still left without any meaningful safety and health protections.
In order to formally implement the process of coordination initiated by the MOU, the FAA must rescind the 1975 Federal Register policy statement and relinquish FAA's exclusive jurisdiction over the safety and health of flight attendants. It is time for the FAA to disclaim a policy that prevents the application of OSHA regulations that will not compromise aviation safety.
Today, flight attendants continue to work without OSHA-type coverage. Every day, flight attendants risk exposure to poor air quality, blood-borne viruses including HIV and Hepatitis B, cosmic radiation and noise. They are expected to perform excessive lifting, pushing, pulling and carrying - including carry-on baggage and poorly designed food and beverage carts. Without workplace regulatory protections, flight attendants are sick and injured with no one to help them. Real health and safety protections will significantly reduce hazards, just as they have in other American workplaces. The Association of Flight Attendants urges you to support a call to the FAA to relinquish its jurisdiction and work with OSHA to provide flight attendants with safety and health protections.
For more information, contact Shane Larson at (202) 434-1300, extension 573.
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