WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Flight Attendants from over 20 airlines, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), and concerned citizens from across the country will hold an OccuFLY protest at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, February 6. Flight Attendants and supporters will protest the latest attack on collective bargaining rights included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill.

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"The FAA reauthorization should be focused on addressing the pressing safety issues that will ensure that the U.S. aviation system remains the safest in the world. Instead, Congress has used this process to gratuitously attack American workers in order to satisfy corporate executives. This controversial labor provision is nothing less than an attack by the 1% against the 99%. We saw it in Wisconsin and Ohio, now we see it for airline and rail workers who are simply seeking the benefits of collective bargaining or fighting to hang on to collective bargaining rights," said Veda Shook, AFA International President.

Through a secret deal, House Republicans and Senate leadership have proposed drastic changes to the Railway Labor Act (RLA). The RLA, one of the nations first labor laws, was crafted cooperatively by labor and management and has not been changed in nearly eight decades without the agreement of both employer and employee representatives. By requiring the support of at least 50 percent of an employee group before a union representation election could be held, where currently there is no statutory requirement, Congress is trying to undermine a workers choice to have union representation. This will virtually ensure that employers will tie up union elections through endless litigation. Through industry consolidation current contracts could be jettisoned and union representation cancelled.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Flight Attendants will be in uniform and available for interview. To schedule an interview or check availability, please contact Corey Caldwell at ccaldwell@afanet.org

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 23 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.

OccuFLY Protest
Monday, February 6, 2012
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PST
Protest: LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal,
Upper Level, South Side
Los Angeles, CA 90045

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA)

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