Honors Nearly 70 Years Of Dedicated Service To Advancing Profession

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) celebrated the first annual "Founder's Day" Tuesday to commemorate the formation of the union 68 years ago and reflect on the vast contributions of AFA's late co-founder Edith Lauterbach to the world's largest flight attendant union for nearly seven decades.

"For the first time in AFA's existence, we observe the founding of our historic union without our guiding light and co-founding member, Edith Edna Lauterbach. Edith and fellow United Flight Attendants Ada Brown Greenfield, Francis Hall, Sally Thometz and Sally Watt Keenan created a platform for unifying and advancing our profession. 

"AFA has been a pioneer in the evolution of the Flight Attendant profession and utilized collective bargaining to improve the lives of Flight Attendants through negotiated contracts. That has been AFA's mission since 1945 and remains our legacy today.

"Today, we stand on the shoulders of five amazing Flight Attendants who started the first union organized, run and controlled by women. Throughout the years, AFA has played a crucial role in advancing the profession and today, Flight Attendants are recognized as aviation's first responders.

"Our work is not finished and we remain resolute in our mission to advance the career in honor of our founders and the Flight Attendants who continue their work as safety professionals on flights around the world. AFA pledges a strong voice for our profession with government and industry in the regulatory and legislative process. Our member-driven union will continue advancing the issues that matter most to Flight Attendants, including collective bargaining agreements that improve compensation and working conditions."

FMI: www.afacwa.org