10.29.21 – **SPECIAL** APFA LGA Base Brief – Friday, October 29, 2021

Friday October 29, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

As most of you know, yet again one of our colleagues has been assaulted by a customer, a criminal. The words “federal” and “law” mean nothing to specific individuals who have been defiant and disrespectful of the law, our profession, and a long history of service. Flight Attendants worldwide perform countless safety tasks taking care of millions of customers and even save some lives along the way.

While an assault on anyone is among the most serious of traumatic events any person could befall, yesterday I sat in front of a young woman, a safety professional who demonstrated courage and strength through her pain. She reminded me of why I love this career. The assault onboard flight 976 may not be the last assault our colleagues must fear encountering, but it is most definitely the last one we will allow going down simply in a file or statistic.

American Airlines and Congress must listen to our cry and act collaboratively with labor unions across our country, to pass legislation that treats these assaults like any other crime. Outrage does not stop the problem, however, putting policies in place that protect flight attendants in any threatening situation is a start in good faith. Departments such as CIRT and EAP should be the last to be thought of as a cost burden. They are what mend workers when we break.

Please fly safe, and take care of one another, always.

In Solidarity,

Christian M. Santana
APFA LGA Base President
[email protected]
(347) 546-0703

Penelope King
APFA LGA Base Vice President
[email protected]
(718) 350-7043

Proud to Represent New York-LGA