Greetings,

AFA 66 eCommunication - Monday, September 14, 2009

Open House & LEC Meeting Tomorrow
Pegasus Online Auction
AFA-CWA Supports Alaska Airlines Request to Review Ownership of Virgin America
________________________________________________________________________

Open House & LEC Meeting Tomorrow

Happy 15th Birthday Council 66!

This month celebrates the 15th Anniversary of AFA Council 66.  In honor of our 15th Birthday, we are hosting an open house at the Council 66 office starting at Noon tomorrow.  Appetizers and cake will be served. Immediately following the open house will be the Local Council Meeting at 2:00 pm at the AFA 66 Office in Tempe.

LEC meetings are open to all members in good standing and cover a variety of topics including committee updates, negotiation briefings, and other council business.



Pegasus Online Auction

The Pegasus Project would like to invite you to participate in a unique marketing opportunity and exciting event. The Pegasus Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide short-term emergency grants to members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) who are experiencing financial hardship due to a critical, life-threatening illness or injury.

The Pegasus Project will be hosting a unique online auction November 1 - 30, 2009 to raise the necessary funds to continue providing valuable services to Flight Attendants and their families.

Click the banner above or visit our website @ thepegasusproject.org for more information!

AFA-CWA Supports Alaska Airlines Request to Review Ownership of Virgin America

Washington, DC – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) this week requested that the Department of Transportation (DOT) support the renewed motion of Alaska Airlines to examine the ownership of Virgin America. AFA-CWA has long believed that the DOT ignored well established rules in 2007 when they permitted Virgin America to operate in the United States.

U.S. federal law requires U.S.-based carriers to be at least 75% owned and controlled by U.S. investors. According to media reports earlier this year, Virgin America lost significant U.S.-based investors with no new investors to replace their stake in the company.

AFA-CWA’s request for closer examination of the airline’s ownership asserts that “there has been no explanation of how Virgin America is permitted to operate long after U.S. citizens tendered their economic ownership interests” and that “Virgin America’s continued existence appears to be contingent upon continued cash infusions by the foreign airline owner.”

Similar requests to the DOT have twice been made by Alaska Airlines as well as by several Congressional
leaders.



mec@afa66.org

www.afa66.org