[03.31.07] -- The CWA Legislative-Political Conference took place from March 25-28 in Washington, D.C. Presidential candidates Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, Joseph Biden, former N.C. Senator John Edwards, and Senator Dennis Kucinich addressed the attendees. AFA-CWA Activists from across the country descended on the Hill to lobby for Flight Attendants protections.
Darren Shiroma, Los Angeles LEC President, and Susan Imai, LEC Government Affairs represented LAX Council 12 and lobbied members of the 110th Congress on Capitol Hill. As a sector of CWA, AFA Activists lobbied for support in AFA-CWA’s efforts to gain workplace health and safety protections and funding for a continued Flight Attendant fatigue study (an incomplete study was conducted in 2005).
In a recent CNN segment, the FAA stated, "We have not seen any data suggesting that current airline flight attendant scheduling practices are contrary to our regulations or pose any risk to airline passenger safety." The Airline Transport Association, which represents 90% of the nation's airlines said, "We rely on the results of the FAA studies, and there has been no recommendation for change." (click HERE to see CNN's F/A Fatigue video clip)
The statements made by the FAA and the Air Transport Association (corporate airline-represented group) clearly shows why comprehensive fatigue studies are needed to affect and make change. It is up to us to take action now.
The safety of the aircraft cabin is critical for both Flight Attendants and the traveling public. Flight Attendants are the First Responders for health, safety and security threats that occur in the air and need adequate rest and workplace safety standards (OSHA).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that Flight Attendants incur more occupational injuries than that of construction workers. Through the FAA Reauthorization Bill, Congress must provide strong and firm guidance to the Federal Aviation Administration to address the aviation safety concerns regarding Flight Attendant fatigue and OSHA protections.
The third issue AFA-CWA lobbied against was the recently negotiated EU-US Open Skies agreement. Some of the provisions in the agreement are vague and troubling, and raise a number of red flags. This agreement could lead to a change in U.S. law and policy, and open the door to greater foreign control of U.S. airlines, a proposal which the U.S. House of Representatives strongly rejected during the 109th Congress just last year.
As safety and security professionals, the Flight Attendants represented by AFA-CWA strive to ensure that our aviation system is the safest and most secure in the world, and remains an industry in the control of U.S. citizens.
In-person lobbying and legislation are an extension of Collective Bargaining, and allows labor to obtain benefits and protections not achieved at the bargaining table. Lobbying cannot be a spectator sport. Corporations employ paid lobbyists to wage opposition to labor-friendly initiatives and work against your wants and needs.
It is crucial that you do your part and contact the offices of your Senators and Congressmen/Congresswomen to let them know your position and the issues that are important to you as constituents!
Click HERE to take simple steps to do your own lobbying from home!
Left Photo: (L-R) Carla Rogat (Mesaba Airlines), Grace Lee (Aloha C54 MEC Sec -Treas), Senator Barack Obama, Darren Shiroma (UAL C12 President). Right Photo: (L-R) Lois Breece (UAL C21 DCA President), Presidential candidate John Edwards, Darren Shiroma (UAL C12 President).
Senator Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards address attendees at the conference.
Left Photo: Michael DesRosiers (UAL JFK LEC Vice President), Senator Hillary ClintonRight Photo: Debbie Golombek (UAL MEC Gov't Affairs Chair), Dianne Tamuk (UAL JFK LEC President), Senator Dennis Kucinich, Michael DesRosiers.
Left Photo: (L-R) Susan Imai (C12 Gov't Affairs), Darren Shiroma, Senator Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), Grace Lee (Aloha C54). Right Photo: (L-R) Joe Baca, Jr. (Rialto City Councilman), Darren Shiroma, Carol Ong (UAL C11 SFO Gov't Affairs Chair), Congressman Joe Baca, Sr. (CA-43rd District).
While in D.C., Darren & Susan, along with Grace Lee (Aloha C54 MEC Sec/Treas) visited and lobbied at the California and Hawaii Congressional Offices of Jane Harman (CA-36th), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34th), Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA-37th), Brad Sherman (CA-27th), Lois Capps (CA-38th), Maxine Waters (CA-35th), Neil Abercrombie (HI-1st), and Mazie Hirono (HI-2nd). They also met with legislative representatives from the offices of Senator Daniel Inouye and Senator Daniel Akaka (both of Hawaii).
Special thanks to Shane Larson (AFA-CWA Government Affairs Director), Debbie Golombek (UAL MEC Government Affairs Chair), Carol Ong (SFO Council 11 Government Affairs Chair), and Carla Rogat (Mesaba Airlines) for their support of our lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.
CWA represents more than 700,000 workers in telecommunications and Internet technology, media and publishing, broadcast and cable television, public service and health care, higher education, airlines and manufacturing.
Obama accuses Bush of 'Social Darwinism' at CWA Conference
Opposes effort to 'divvy up the government into individual tax breaks'
The Associated Press
[03.28.07] -- WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama accused the Bush administration on Tuesday of pursuing a policy of "social Darwinism" that leaves every man and woman struggling.
"It's a strategy that we've seen this administration pursue over the last six years, that basically says government has no role to play in making sure that America is prosperous for all people and not just some," Obama said to applause during an appearance before the Communications Workers of America.
The Illinois senator said the attempt to "divvy up the government into individual tax breaks" may be tempting, but government research and investment is what has made advances possible in the United States.
Obama, John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed the CWA's conference, each accusing the administration of failing to look out for average workers and vowing to make changes if elected president.
Clinton said she wanted to return to a time when the country and it's leaders had big goals and achieved them - like improving civil rights or sending a man to the moon. She said she wished President Bush would have used the opportunity of a unified nation after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to make the country energy independent or provide universal health care.
"We were waiting for the president to seize the moment to say, let's take this time and let's become energy independent so we're not sending money to people who fund those who then turn around and attack us," she said.
The White House had no immediate comment.
Before Clinton took the stage, union leaders removed some members of the anti-war group Code Pink who often protest her appearances. Barbara Easterling, secretary-treasurer of the union, went to the podium and explained that while CWA is deeply involved in the anti-war movement and considers Code Pink well-intentioned, they didn't want them to disrupt the event.
The protesters sang "Power to the People" as hotel management escorted them out.
Obama, Clinton, Edwards Seek Support from Communications Union
Fox News
[03.28.07] -- Sen. Barack Obama stressed his record as a champion of workers' rights at a union forum on Tuesday that also attracted fellow Democratic White House hopefuls John Edwards and Hillary Clinton.
"I am confident in my ability to lead," Obama told members of the Communication Workers of America.
The top Democratic contenders for the White House worked to impress the crowd about their pro-labor credentials, support for universal health care coverage and calls for an end to the war in Iraq.
Answering charges that he is more style over substance, Obama pushed his record as a state legislator, community organizer and academic background as a professor and argued that he has the gravitas to be president.
He also said the nation needs to make better choices so it isn't "competitive on the backs of workers." The nation's health care system is broken, Obama added, and education is suffering under President Bush's policies.
He referred to the Bush administration's view of the world and workers as "social Darwinism" and delivered a harsh rebuke to what he termed the president's "ownership society."
A member of the audience interrupted Obama by yelling out "Throw the bums out" to which Obama responded, "We have already thrown some of the bums out ... but we don't want new ones coming in."
The CWA's powerful endorsement could bring in lots of campaign cash. The group, which endorsed Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004, is the largest telecommunications union in the nation with 700,000 members. It has said it will withhold its endorsement for the time being as it hears from the candidates.
The union supports the Employee Free Choice Act, which would simplify the process of forming and joining unions and increase penalties for violations of employee rights. All the 2008 contenders stressed their support for the act.
Edwards, a former Democratic senator from North Carolina and Kerry's running mate in 2004, also offered his credentials on other pet issues of the union such as increased broadband access and the need for a ban on hiring permanent replacements for striking workers. Edwards said he was the first Democrat with a "truly comprehensive" health care plan.
"We need big, bold change in America," Edwards said.
Sending regards from his wife, Elizabeth, who revealed last week that cancer has spread to her bones, Edwards quipped that as a result of all the news coverage about her, she told him, "I am sick of me."
He also carried the populist message, calling global warming an "emergency" and he criticized "Bush and his gang" for taking money away from education.
"This country, we are so much better then we are acting," Edwards said about global warming. "It is time for us to be patriotic with something other than war. ... We need big, bold change in America."
Clinton, the Democrat senator from New York, also vowed her support for the union's issues, saying in contrast to Bush, "you're not invisible to us, not to this union and not to me."
"When I'm sworn into president and I'm hearing of all these big holes ... that have been dug over the last six years, I'm going to have everybody in America shoveling. We are going to start digging our way out," Clinton said.
About 20 minutes before Clinton's speech, five Code Pink protesters were asked to leave the hotel and threatened with arrest. CWA spokespeople said the protesters were intending to interrupt Clinton, though the protesters who had been standing there for two hours, denied that to FOX News. CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling took the microphone and told the audience, "The group that was here, they disrupted, and we don't need that to be the focus of the conference....We are here to do a job and we don't need anyone to disrupt that."
Clinton, Edwards & Obama Clips from 2007 CWA Political-Legislative Conference
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