Flight Attendants, Congressional Reps At Houston (IAH) Airport Rally Against Knives In The Passenger Cabin

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions, representing 90,000 Flight Attendants including United, American, Southwest and US Airways, are conducting a press conference and rally Monday, May 20, 2013 at Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to continue engaging the traveling public in efforts to keep the aircraft cabin free of knives. According to a recent Washington Post article "now the chatter is that the TSA may decide to put the new rules into effect over the Memorial Day weekend."

The TSA's delayed policy to allow knives into the passenger cabin has been opposed by Flight Attendants, gate agents, TSA officers, air marshals, law enforcement officers, FBI agents, pilots, passengers, 9/11 families and airlines. Nine organizations representing 400,000 members of these groups filed a legal petition with the TSA in opposition to permitting knives in the cabin, reserving their right to take legal action against implementation. Airlines for America (A4A), representing airlines such as United, US Airways, Delta, Alaska and American, joined the legal petition on May 16, 2013 stating, "… the new policy should be rescinded immediately."

"A TSA-approved knife could be used to stab or kill a passenger, crew member, federal air marshal, gate agent or TSA Security Officer by a terrorist, mentally ill person or drug or alcohol-impaired passenger," said the Coalition. "It would be irresponsible to relax the TSA's existing policy on knives when virtually every organization representing those directly affected by the change adamantly opposes it on safety and security grounds."

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security, has championed this issue in Congress and she joins Flight Attendants in pushing for passage of The No Knives Act of 2013 to legislate a permanent ban on knives in the passenger cabin. Flight Attendants are issuing a public plea to Capitol Hill, including to Texas Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, to support the legislation and keep the traveling public safe.

Flight Attendants have opposed the ill-advised plan since first announced on March 5, 2013 and remain resolute: No Knives on Planes Ever Again. www.NoKnivesOnPlanes.com

Confirmed Speakers:

• Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18^th District)
• Congressman Al Green (TX-9^th District)
• Jeff Heisey, Secretary-Treasurer of United Airlines Chapter, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
• Jeff Pharr, National Secretary, Association of Professional Flight Attendants
• Sara Gonzales, District Special Representative, International Association of Machinists
• Thom McDaniel, International Vice President, Transport Workers Union
• Richard Shaw, Secretary- Treasurer of the Harris County AFL-CIO

Press Conference "No Knives, Ever Again"
Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Terminal A Departure Level Lobby, Near Space Cow
May 20, 2013, 11:30 am Central Time

The Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions coordinates on issues of mutual interest to Flight Attendants. Members of the Coalition are the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Transport Workers Union (TWU),

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants