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For Immediate Release: August 17, 2012
Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
US Airways Express Flight Attendants Authorize Strike
Piedmont Airlines Flight Attendants Support Strike by Strong
Majority
Washington, DC – Piedmont Airlines Flight Attendants,
represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA),
today sent a loud and clear message that if management fails to
negotiate a new agreement, a strike could result at the airline.
The strike was authorized by 98 percent of participating Flight
Attendants. Piedmont is a wholly owned subsidiary of US Airways
Group, Inc. and operates as a US Airways Express carrier.
“Piedmont Flight Attendants have been focused on reaching an
agreement that recognizes the value our professionalism brings
to the airline. It is time that management move forward with
negotiations and work with us to reach an agreement that
reflects the contributions Piedmont Flight Attendants have made
to the success of the US Airways system,” said Anita Jwanouskos,
AFA Piedmont President. “At this point, it is up to Piedmont
management. Should they continue to ignore our critical role as
First Responders and fail to reach an agreement, then they
should be prepared for CHAOS™.”
AFA has a trademarked strike strategy known as CHAOS or Create
Havoc Around Our System™. With CHAOS, a strike could affect the
entire system or a single flight. The union decides when, where
and how to strike without notice to management or passengers.
Throughout negotiations, AFA has continued to address Flight
Attendant concerns while management has made regressive
proposals. This lack of progress could lead to the National
Mediation Board (NMB) declaring that negotiations are deadlocked
and releasing both parties into a 30-day “cooling off” period
leading to a strike deadline.
“Flight Attendants at Piedmont did not take this strike vote
lightly and our overwhelming decision to strike should show
management the seriousness of this situation. Piedmont Flight
Attendants are key partners in the overall success of US Airways
and we want a contract that recognizes our part in any potential
merger. We will not settle for less,” added Jwanouskos.
Piedmont Airlines is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland and
provides over 400 daily departures to 55 cities throughout the
eastern United States and Canada including Charlotte, NC;
Philadelphia, PA; Charlottesville, VA; Roanoke, VA; and
Harrisburg, PA.
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 over 65 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 at 21 airlines 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 .
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