The federal election on November 5th is approaching, and it is time to start planning to ensure your vote is counted. AFA-CWA has partnered with the League of Women Voters to connect Members to the resources supporting their right to vote. Visit vote411.org/afacwa to start planning ahead now. Deadlines are already upon us for voter registration, so don’t wait - do it today! As Flight Attendants, our work group in particular needs to plan ahead. We never can know with 100% certainty where we will be on any given day six weeks from now, and cannot rely on a day off in today's uncertain climate.
On our vote411 page, Members can check their voter registration status, request a mail-in ballot, apply for early or absentee voting, find out where their polling place is, get the details on candidates that will be on the ballot, and learn about ballot initiatives. Keep in mind that many congressional districts have been redrawn since the last federal election, so be sure to double check your district and precinct.
Following the massive success of our Strike Authorization Vote, it is important to build on that momentum. Voting helps protect the Contract we are fighting for and our ability to negotiate for our future. The upcoming election will determine who controls the House and the Senate. The committee chairs in each of those bodies is determined by the majority party. It is critical that we elect legislators who support unions and the labor movement as a whole, otherwise our issues will never make it to debate, much less to a vote. In addition, the President appoints two out of three positions on the National Mediation Board; the current configuration includes two Democrats (including former AFA International President Linda Puchala) and one Republican. If we lose a labor-friendly majority before our contract negotiations result in a Tentative Agreement, the prospect of being released to a 30-day cooling off period, and subsequently to self-help, may become much less likely.
The AFA-CWA Legislative has a proven track record of legislative wins because of Labor-friendly elected leaders. Our most recent wins have included Protection from Abusive Passengers, the PUMP Act, and Clean Cabin Air legislation that all were passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the FAA Reauthorization Bill. We continue to build on our past successes, and there is always more that needs to be addressed.
The 2024 election cycle AFA-CWA Endorsements can be viewed here:
https://www.afacwa.org/afa_endorsed_candidates_for_2024_election
This election will determine how much we will be able to accomplish over the next four years, so it is extremely important that each one of us steps up to participate in our democracy. Make your plan to vote today and be a part of securing our future!