As many of us work throughout this busy travel weekend, I wanted to also take some time to thank my fellow flight attendants for keeping our airline flying and flourishing.  Flight attendants and other labor groups have carried our airline on our backs — whether we call ourselves Northwest or Delta —throughout these tough times.  We have taken the painful cuts and we have born the brunt of this tough economy in our industry.  Delta is our airline and we will make it soar through our outstanding efforts.  With that success we must also strive for and attain an industry leading and legally binding contract for flight attendants.  We should lead the industry, not only in the size of our airline and in our executives' compensation, but also with an appropriate World Class Contract for flight attendants.  This is not an impossible and far off dream, but something that is already happening for union flight attendants at union represented carriers this year. 

We see a New Day finally dawning in truth for flight attendants.  New safeguards and protections are appearing in the current FAA Reauthorization Bill, which was just passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and will now go on to the Senate.  These improvements are not merely random happenings - they took years of advocacy by union members and staff in our Association of Flight Attendants.   In spite of frequent and well-funded business leader and airline executive opposition, AFA has fought for fair and equal standards for flight attendants for over 60 years.  Other measures AFA-CWA is urging the Senate to include in their FAA Reauthorization are: funding for a flight attendant fatigue study; OSHA workplace safety and health protections; notification of pesticide application on flights; cabin air quality provisions that would initiate development of air quality sensors and filtration; a "Return to the Cabin" program that will allow flight attendants an opportunity for rehabilitation after testing positive for drug or alcohol abuse; temperature standards for aircraft; further definition of provisions restricting foreign control of U.S. airlines; and a ban on smoking onboard charter flights.

We have endured 8 years under an anti-worker National Mediation Board, but we can now look forward to a fair playing field in elections and negotiations for airline workers.  Yesterday the U.S. Senate confirmed former AFA International President Linda Puchala to the NMB.  This is not only a significant milestone for our own flight attendants in our efforts for a fair and free election for all new Delta flight attendants, but also for over 35,000 AFA represented flight attendants across our country who are preparing for, or already engaged in collective bargaining with their airlines.   As AFA International President Pat Friend stated yesterday, "At a time when many airline employees are engaged in contract negotiations, it is crucial that the agency charged with overseeing collective bargaining and representation under the Railway Labor Act protect workers from employer interference and influence that unfortunately has become routine under the previous NMB. The confirmation of Linda Puchala is the beginning step in reforming the NMB."

Memorial Day allows us the chance to pause and honor those brave men and women who changed the face of our nation and fought for workers’ rights - especially those who have died in those struggles.  Despite the fact that unions are associated with higher productivity, lower employee turnover, improved workplace communication, a better-trained workforce, economic growth, competitiveness, solvency of our company, workplace health and safety, and economic development; we still face massive and well-funded union-busting campaigns throughout the country.