I know this is about as surprising as the NRA endorsing the GOP candidate, but the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) has thrown its support behind Kamala Harris for President and attacked former President Donald Trump, which strikes me as a risky campaign strategy in a divided nation.
AFA Endorses Harris, Attacks Trump And “Scheduled Charter” Carriers Like JSX
Let’s first take a look at the resolution as unanimously adopted by the AFA-CWA on August 5, 2024:
WHEREAS, the election of the President of the United States has a direct impact on safety, health, security, collective bargaining, and job security of Flight Attendants as Departments and Agencies of the Administration oversee each of these items in our workplace and fundamental rights to equality and justice at work, and
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris administration has affirmed our right to strike under the Railway Labor Act, leading recently to tentative agreements at Alaska, American, and Gate Gourmet, and,
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris administration moved our 10 hours rest to implementation as one of the first aviation regulation actions of the administration following efforts by the Trump administration to wipe out the mandate from Congress to implement the minimum 10 hours rest, and,
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris administration prioritized keeping our government open and worked to finalize the FAA reauthorization bill to support our national air transportation system as opposed to the former administration that used our safety and security as a bargaining chip during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, and,
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris administration consulted our union on key nominations and appointments to positions that interface with our jobs and prioritized safety inspection and accountability for Boeing and other aviation parts manufacturers, and,
WHEREAS, the former administration rubber stamped safety inspections and new aviation business models that sought to skirt fundamental safety and security regulations, but the Biden-Harris administration is well into the rulemaking process to stop abuse of “scheduled charter” waivers in order to protect our safety, and security regulations that have been written following the devastating loss of our friends, family, and aviation’s first responders, and,
WHEREAS, the former president has endorsed candidates who called LGBTQ+ Americans “Filth” and “Maggots” while also vowing to enact gender affirming care bans, but Kamala Harris has a long history of using her elected positions to defend civil rights, voting rights, and marriage equality, and,
WHEREAS, the former administration issued legal interpretations to undercut workers’ ability to determine how to utilize their FMLA benefits and specifically undercut collective bargaining agreement language, even though that is contrary to the law, while the Biden-Harris DOL responded immediately to interface with airlines that rushed to run over our rights and instead is taking action to ensure compliance on this issue, and,
WHEREAS, the former president sought to implement Schedule F previously to destroy the civil service with career employees who keep key government functions operating such as social security, medicare, food inspection, occupational licensing regardless of which political party inhabits that White House in order to make it easier for dismissal of union federal workers in favor of Trump administration loyalists – while Kamala Harrris has lifted up the rights of federal workers, women’s rights, and economic freedoms including a living wage, healthcare, retirement security, and good union jobs that help tackle inequality, and,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the AFA-CWA Board of Directors endorses the election of Kamala Harris as President of the United States to continue the work of the Biden-Harris administration and build on it for a better future, and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, our union will redouble efforts to encourage first and foremost participation in our democracy by all Flight Attendants with voter registration drives, information on early and absentee balloting, and information that led to this endorsement as Flight Attendants make their own decision in how to cast their vote on or before November 5, 2024.
A couple of things stand out to me. First, you have to chuckle at how the AFA cannot help itself but to insert language condemning JSX (formerly JetSuiteX) and blaming Trump for it (“the former administration rubber stamped safety inspections and new aviation business models that sought to skirt fundamental safety and security regulations”). The AFA is exuberant the “Biden-Harris administration is well into the rulemaking process to stop abuse of ‘scheduled charter’ waivers in order to protect our safety, and security regulations that have been written following the devastating loss of our friends, family, and aviation’s first responders.”
It is tough to take anything else seriously with this drivel. I understand there is fear that the growth of business models like JSX and SkyWest doing the same thing on 29-seat jets threatens to weaken union power. But the AFA makes it sound like people have died due to these consumer-friendly, innovative, and safe airlines. What insulting slander to these carriers and the veteran pilots who tend to pilot these aircraft.
Second, the AFA attacks Trump for not supporting The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when his Administration expanded it…make it make sense.
Finally, I loathe Trump for his personal morality and narcissism, but if I’m running a powerful union in a country that is nearly evenly divided (which does not mean that flight attendants are evenly divided, but I know many Trump-supporting flight attendants) I would not be this incendiary toward the egotistical man who has vowed revenge against his political enemies but also who saved their jobs with a disgusting round of bailouts (i.e. corporate wealth transfers) funded by taxpayers (such a mistake…).
You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Support Harris by all means, but don’t attack the grifter who saved all your jobs…it will only be more contentious if he prevails.
CONCLUSION
The AFA has endorsed Vice President Harris over former President Trump in this November’s US presidential election. While the endorsement is no surprise, I could not help but roll my eyes at some of the absurd statements, particularly attacking Schedule 135 operators like JSX.
image: White House
Got to love politics first thing in the morning!
!Aaron … politics is always good for a laugh … and a laugh is always good in the morning .
You must be the only person who read that “resolution.” I couldn’t get past the first WHEREAS. Thanks for the summary.
I only started reading when I saw the word “finally” after all the “whereas” and “Be it…” blah, blah, blah.
When Harris looks out the window and sees clouds , she asks Biden : “Which Cloud is Storing my Data” ?
Biden does not answer because he does not know what are clouds .
Pete Buttigieg took maternity leave after adopting the AFA-CWA as his union child .
It’s called parental leave, so you too can mind your own business about how parents become parents and not have to fret about the birds and the bees in the modern world. But if you have an urge to ask your parents the details about how you came into being and they your parents, that’s your own business.
[deleted]
AndyS: The Russian propaganda is getting old… -Matthew
Sounds like one of Trump’s “alternative facts”. And probably as accurate as a claim that 60% of the votes for Biden in November 2020 were cast by illegal immigrants paid for by George Soros.
Tim Walz signed a bill providing tampons in boy’s restrooms . So , boys call the dem ticket the “tampon ticket” .
Have you even been to a boy’s restroom at public schools in Minnesota? Either way, if you want to get your groove on in the boy’s rooms in Minnesota, MSP may be an easier layover for you. But be warned that MSP has a rep in this regard for CIS-presenting Republican makes. Remember they caught then US Senator Larry Craig while he was in the closet seeking his jollies in a men’s toilet stall at MSP.
I always do a check in at the “Larry Craig Memorial Restroom” on social media when at MSP.
For awhile someone with a sense of humor was dragging a sign that said “Meeting in progress” in front of a mens room entrance while it was closed for cleaning.
He used to be a sort of regular in one of the DL lounges at MSP. No idea if he found anyone to float his boat in the lounges at MSP, but I doubt that he limited his escapades to bathrooms.
That makes it easier for boys to get tampons for Mom, sister, etc.
It’s a sad state of affairs when American teenage girls — although with the national obesity epidemic it’s increasingly even sub-tweenie girls — don’t have basic feminine hygiene products appropriate for the circumstances because their families can’t afford it or don’t supply it to them for whatever reason.
You want a greater America? It comes when the kids have adequate food in their stomachs to focus on school in school and have their basic health and hygienes considered so they feel good going to and being in school. Walz has been great in that regard, and since Minnesota is the third happiest state in the country despite the mosquito being the state bird and having winters that make Icelanders feel like they live in the Bahamas, it can’t be all that bad with the free tampons and free school breakfasts and lunches. Fewer kids playing hooky is so much better for the country. Fewer kids being suspended or expelled from school is also better for the country. That’s how things work better, especially when you want the next generation doing well to fund your Social Security and Medicare payouts and grow a better off tax base.
It’s not a sad state. You want to pay for it, then do so. Stop stealing from others to do so. It’s that simple. The country wasn’t founded on “the collective”, it was founded on individual liberty. Period.
In a way the country was founded on taxation with representation. Of course then there was the Whiskey Rebellion, and George Washington himself led the charge for taxation approved by Congress and went after those anti-tax rebels.
Says the guy who completely ignores that it wasn’t until the 16th was rammed through that income taxes were illegal. I bet if you didn’t think you could soak another group to pay for this slush fund then you would think twice about voting for taxes to pay for unused tampons or whatever other nonsense it allegedly pays for.
However, yes, we will agree, the articles were far to restrictive.
If taxation ordered by elected representation is stealing, then how do you propose even protecting the borders? With lawless private militias and other wannabe vigilantes being a law unto themselves in deciding who is in and who is out?
Excise taxes are taxes. Taxation with representation was there even during George Washington’s time as President. The Founders just didn’t appreciate that they would face rebellions from anti-tax rebels even over excise taxes. But good luck trying to have a secure and functioning state without taxation. Or are you also now against “states’ rights”? 😉
Maybe your model is Afghanistan and Somalia where state authority to tax and collect income taxes was dysfunctional and anarchy ruled supreme?
Oh, here we go with the “muh roadz” argument. This is why it’s not worth wasting the time. Yes, a society can and function without the state. It has before. Somali has a government. It had a government. Even run by drug lords, is a government. Realistically, not unlike our own. Not that I expect you to understand. Anyway, scream into the void. Or…. learn something about anarchy before saying it won’t work. I know 99% of the population is dumb and can’t fathom a life where they had to make their own decisions but that doesn’t mean it can’t and hasn’t worked without a thug State stealing some portion of your earnings to ensure your “protection”.
Excise taxes are the only non-overly objectionable taxes as it requires the consent of the purchaser to be paid. Income taxes are solely non-consensual.
Perhaps AFA would approve of an even more pro-union canddiate and can replace Harris as they did Biden (without a single vote). I hear Jimmy Hoffa is voting Democrat this year.
I hate trump, but someone should tell these a-hats that he was the one gave them billions to sit home, then come back and harass people for not having a cold. This is the reason nobody should support unions in 2024. They steal from their members and then create divisive rhetoric like this.
Additionally, it’s quite ironic to attack part 135 carriers while whining about “working class”. I guess Part 135 carriers don’t support the “working class”? Part 135 carriers are certainly better operated and, gasp, cheaper, which benefits the “working class.” Tone deaf children.
Should Trump prevail he has promised we won’t be voting again and the union can then spare everyone the drivel.
You people will believe anything. This is what’s wrong with the world. My god. This one might be worse than the “he told us to inject bleach” silliness.
Brandon those were Trump’s words. If you don’t like them too bad. I don’t like them either.
Yeah, taken out of context, But since we can’t be adults about what was actually said……
If context doesn’t matter….. en.wikipedia () org/wiki/You_didn%27t_build_that
http://www.reuters () com/article/world/fact-checkbidenwhere-am-i-clip-taken-out-of-context-idUSKCN26E2P6/
But please, go on about “his actual words”. Geez. It’s crazy to imagine people like you are adults.
It would be shocking if the flight attendants union were to have gone to bat for the other side.
The NRA isn’t endorsing the best marksman among the Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance tickets, Walz is a much better shot out in the woods than Harris and Trump. Likely, Walz’s even a better shot than Vance, and yet the NRA has other interests than people’s skills with a gun.
Maybe JSX F/As need to join AFA to see how fast the union reverses on itself?
These part 135s are the only airlines flying to many EAS locations that no longer have demand conducive to profitable air service because union industrial jobs started to cost way too much and plants closed down. Why not gig the same communities again?
Are JetBlue and Spirit FA’s part of the AFA?
If so, then the Biden administration didn’t do them any long term favors denying the merger.
I’m pretty sure the Hawaiian FA’s who could be unemployed without the Alaska deal may not have been consulted, either.
What’s also ironic is that the union laborers on Trump construction projects love him.
Spirit (and Hawaiian) is AFA. JetBlue is TWU (so they don’t count in AFA’s mind). There is no union but AFA and Sara is the prophet.
Airlines should do what the cruise lines did and outsource their inflight labour to contractors that are rotated out.
Letting these lazy entitled waitresses demand union representation for what basically is a waitress job is beyond pathetic. A flight attendant shouldn’t be making more than any other service worker.
How is Kamala gonna win if she can’t suck off more powerful men to get ahead in her career anymore?
Islam is right about women.
Kam will be the pretty face and Walz on a leash as the attack dog. Ruff! Ruff ruff! Grr!
@Matt
Great article!
@Alert!
LOL
You are on a roll today!
If the DemocRATS nominated Joe Stalin, that union would endorse him. Then he would abolish unions and send them to the gulag..