Association of Professional Flight Attendants

Association of Professional Flight Attendants
APFA · Public domain · source
Name	Association of Professional Flight Attendants
Founded	1977
Headquarters	Miami, Florida
Key people	Sara Nelson, Laura Glading, Veda Shook
Members	~21,000 (varies)
Affiliation	Communications Workers of America
Website	(omitted)

Association of Professional Flight Attendants is a labor union representing cabin crew who work for major United States airlines. It negotiates collective bargaining agreements, organizes labor actions, and engages in political advocacy on behalf of members employed by carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and formerly US Airways. The organization has been active in high-profile disputes, legal challenges, and national campaigns affecting aviation labor policy, regulatory safety, and employee rights.

History

Founded in 1977, the organization emerged amid the post-Airline Deregulation Act era alongside broader shifts involving International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Transport Workers Union of America, and Air Line Pilots Association. Early years saw organizing drives at carriers including Eastern Air Lines and Pan American World Airways and interactions with federal agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Mediation Board. The union's history intersects with major aviation events such as the PATCO strike, the September 11 attacks, and the Great Recession (2007–2009), influencing bargaining priorities and employment security. Leadership transitions featured figures connected to unions such as the Communications Workers of America and campaigns paralleling actions by Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and Transport Workers Union Local 556. The organization has litigated before courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and engaged with congressional committees such as the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Organization and Membership

Governance follows a constitution with elected officers and a representative structure comparable to Service Employees International Union locals and divisions of AFL–CIO-affiliated unions. Membership includes flight attendants employed by carriers historically including America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways Express, and regional partners like SkyWest Airlines and Envoy Air. Committees coordinate with professional groups such as Air Line Pilots Association, Association of Professional Flight Attendants Local, and international organizations including International Transport Workers' Federation. The leadership has engaged with prominent labor leaders and public figures associated with unions such as SEIU and Teamsters, and with politicians like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump on workplace issues. Membership communications have referenced research from institutions like National Labor Relations Board, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and think tanks including Economic Policy Institute.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Actions

Bargaining campaigns have targeted contract terms at carriers including American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines, Inc., and United Continental Holdings; negotiations have invoked labor law instruments such as the Railway Labor Act and processes administered by the National Mediation Board. The union has coordinated work actions comparable in scale and visibility to strikes and slowdowns organized by Teamsters Local 399, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and pilots' actions at American Airlines in various decades. High-profile labor actions prompted interventions by federal offices including the Department of Transportation and influenced rulings from courts like the United States Supreme Court in related labor precedents. Collective bargaining outcomes have impacted interactions with airport authorities such as Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and regulatory bodies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Political Activity and Advocacy

Political advocacy has included endorsements and lobbying efforts involving figures from United States Congress such as members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and representatives aligned with AFL–CIO priorities. Campaigns targeted legislation affecting aviation security, passenger rights, and labor protections, engaging stakeholders like the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and non-governmental organizations such as Airports Council International and Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. The union has mobilized members for get-out-the-vote initiatives, coordinated with organizations like MoveOn.org and Working America, and engaged with presidential administrations from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden on policy affecting aviation labor. Advocacy also involved coalitions with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and National Air Traffic Controllers Association on infrastructure and safety funding.

Safety, Working Conditions, and Contract Provisions

Negotiated contract provisions have addressed fatigue rules, rest periods, health protections, and job security similar to standards advocated by National Transportation Safety Board recommendations and medical guidance from entities like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Agreements have included language on pay scales, per diem, scheduling, and seniority systems akin to practices at Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Safety campaigns referenced incidents investigated by Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, and the union has participated in rulemaking petitions submitted to the Department of Transportation and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Work has intersected with public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and with regulatory proposals from International Civil Aviation Organization.

Notable Campaigns and Legal Cases

The union has been central to campaigns against airline mergers involving entities like US Airways and American Airlines and in litigation addressing labor rights before courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Legal cases have engaged statutory frameworks including the Railway Labor Act and disputes adjudicated by the National Labor Relations Board. Notable campaigns have coincided with contemporaneous labor events such as strikes by Airline Pilots Association members and organizing drives by Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and Transport Workers Union of America, and have attracted coverage in media outlets reporting on labor issues alongside analyses from Economic Policy Institute and Brookings Institution scholars.

Category:Trade unions in the United States