Tue. August 27, 2013
On the heels of a successful fight to keep knives off the country’s commercial aircraft, Flight Attendants are celebrating another victory that extends many health and safety standards to inside the passenger cabin.
For almost four decades, Flight Attendants were not protected by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations that cover other workers throughout America. Now, after years of union advocacy, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and OSHA have come to a cooperative agreement that extends long-overdue workplace protections to Flight Attendants.
“After decades of hard work and lobbying by both front-line IAM Flight Attendants and the IAM Legislative and Political Department, Flight Attendants will now receive these much-deserved protections that other workers have enjoyed for years,” said IAM Special Representative Sara Gonzales. “This victory came to fruition directly from lobbying on OSHA inclusion for Flight Attendants in the FAA re-authorization bill and the IAM’s comments to the FAA regarding the specific needs for OSHA protections for Flight Attendants. Our work to ensure a safe working environment for Flight Attendants doesn’t end here, but this is a monumental victory.”
The IAM will continue to work with the Labor Department, FAA and OSHA to ensure Flight Attendants are adequately protected by federal workplace laws. More information about these new regulations will be communicated to IAM Flight Attendants as it becomes available.
