Government Affairs Committee

AFA members from twenty-seven airlines lobby Congress and Federal Agencies to achieve workplace improvements. The AFA Council 66 (America West) Government Affairs Committee actively participates in all AFA lobbying efforts. With our solidarity, the Legislative Affairs committees have convinced Congress and Federal Agencies to;

• Recognize Flight Attendants as Cabin Safety Professionals and mandate our presence on all commercial airline aircraft
• Establish floor level exits for safe evacuations
• Ensure that there are less flammable materials used to construct cabin interiors
• Ban smoking on domestic and international flights
• Limit the number of carry-on bags (see more information below)
• Limit duty-time regulations (F.A.R. 121.467)
• Establish sensible weight standards for flight attendants

Recently, AFA won three significant legislative victories:

• Whistleblower Protection for Aviation Workers – This law allows all aviation workers to blow the whistle on unsafe conditions at their airline. The company can not fire you for reporting unsafe practices at your airline to the FAA or other agencies.
• Civil penalties for passengers who assault a flight crewmember was increased from $1,000 to $25,000.
• Congress will fund comprehensive cabin-air quality studies. This will allow us to study air on our airplanes to determine it’s content and quality.

AFA Legislative Affairs Committee’s are currently working on the following issues:

• OSHA protection for all flight attendants. AFA wants OSHA and the FAA to establish safety rules on-board aircraft. Currently, there are no safety rules in place to prevent injuries on-board. Workers in other industries are covered by OSHA protection…Flight Attendants Are Not!! For more information on OSHA click here.
• AFA wants Congress to establish carry-on bag rules that apply to all airlines. Currently, each airline can set it’s own policy and the FAA requires that they enforce their rules. However, with increased code-share agreements and other marketing programs, passengers are confused about carry-on bag rules. Therefore, Congress should establish a universal rule that will ensure compliance. Recent AFA studies also point to carry-on bags as a source of flight attendant injuries so it is imperative that Congress act quickly.

While much of the lobby activities take place in Washington, DC, AFA Council 66 members also lobby the Arizona State House. Arizona lawmakers often vote on issues such as the state worker’s compensation system (OJI) and tax issues that affect America West flight attendants.

There is always work to be done in the Halls of Congress and at the State House. If you are interested in lobbying to improve the working conditions of your flying partners, please call the AFA office at 480-966-1231, extension 11, or 800-200-2555, extension 11.

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