October 16, 2024
(press release)
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Dallas, TX -- The UAW-represented staff at the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents American Airlines Flight Attendants, have gone on strike following stalled contract negotiations and an unwillingness by APFA management to bargain in good faith. The unit, composed of 11 clerical, administrative, and support staff, unanimously rejected the latest contract offer after facing attempts to erode the bargaining unit, concessions, unfair wages, loss of staff positions, and other issues impacting their livelihoods. This marks the first strike and contract rejection in the unit's history since joining the UAW in 1989. The UAW-represented employees have long supported APFA's efforts in securing better working conditions for flight attendants, but they now find themselves on the picket line to defend their own rights and economic security. Their contract expired on October 1, with bargaining having begun only a few weeks prior. After six bargaining sessions, management dug in their heels and little progress was made on key issues that would protect staff positions, maintain fair representation, and ensure fair wages. Kim Ramos, UAW Chairperson and a 38-year employee and UAW member, expressed disappointment in the breakdown of negotiations: “We are saddened that APFA has refused to bargain in good faith, and now we walk the line in solidarity to better the livelihoods of the UAW-represented staff employees. We may be small, but we are mighty and 100% in solidarity.” Cheryl Stubblefield, President of UAW Local 129, echoed these sentiments, calling out the hypocrisy of APFA's stated values: “I am beyond words to witness the utter disrespect our UAW T.O.P. workers have encountered. Their employer claims to want to ‘humanize’ workers and evolve the labor movement, but after days of talk, that promise has not been realized. We must stand for justice for all workers. We must stand for economic freedom. We must stand today to protect and advance all the rights that have been bargained for. Will you stand today in support of our labor movement?” The UAW-represented staff are resolute in their fight for a fair contract and call on APFA to return to the table ready to negotiate a deal that respects the workers who have diligently served the union for decades.
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