Labor & Employment Law

Coffee, Tea or Workplace Safety?

By Mike Hall

Back when flight attendants were stewardesses and airline ads promoted their good looks and winsome smiles to get you on board, these hardworking airline employees had no job safety and health protection.  Today, flight attendants still are not covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and most of his Republicans colleagues want to keep it that way, just like the old days.

The Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), Machinists (IAM) and Transport Workers (TWU) have launched campaigns to fight back. Here?s the latest video from TWU that notes, ?Times have changed? and Paul?s efforts put both flight attendants and the flying public at risk.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill now in the Senate provides OSHA protection to flight attendants and other air crew. Paul has offered an amendment to cut those protections from the FAA bill, in effect putting both workers and passengers at risk.

Considering the high rate of workplace injuries and the impact on the flying public, flight attendants are speaking out about why this is a serious mistake. Sanitation, air quality, temperature and humidity levels, noise and blood-borne pathogens are just a few of the hazards that go unchecked for flight attendants in their workplace?the aircraft cabin.

What?s next, passenger parachutes for landing?

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 16, 2011 (boomark / email).