Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines yesterday became the second union outside of the Association of Flight Attendants, Communication Workers of America [AFA-CWA] in as many days to express its support for AFA’s call for a nationwide strike in the event that any of its collective bargaining agreements are abrogated.

“Our unions have worked together on many important flight attendant issues, and we benefited greatly from the support of AFA during our recent contract negotiations,” noted Thom McDaniel, president of Transport Workers Union Local 556 in Dallas. “We will not stand on the sidelines while airline executives misuse bankruptcy courts to cover up their own mistakes and turn back the clock on the progress that we have all achieved.

“Thank you for taking a stand in this fight for the future of all flight attendants,” McDaniel said.

With airlines indicating their desire to manipulate the federal bankruptcy laws and tear up legally binding contracts with their employees, AFA earlier this week indicated that it will move forward with CHAOS(TM) job actions should that happen. CHAOS is AFA’s trademarked tactic for surprise work stoppages that could affect any flight, any airport and any day, subject solely to the union’s discretion.

On November 18, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents employees at American Airlines, the nation’s largest carrier, also expressed its support for AFA’s position.

—PRNewswire, November 20, 2004