Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Please Help F/a's Get Osha Protection!!

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

Julie

Member
Joined
May 7, 2002
Posts
6
U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio and Sherwood Boehlert have written a letter to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey asking her to rescind the FAA's jurisdiction over crewmember's health and safety issues. This would allow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to claim jurisdiction. The APFA is asking that all APFA members call, fax, or e-mail their Representatives in Congress today and urge them to sign Representative Defazio's and Representative Sherwood's letter to Administrator Garvey. APFA President John Ward has already sent a letter to each Member of Congress on behalf of the entire APFA Membership, but they need to hear from you personally.

Flight Attendants are among the only workers in the transportation industry that do not have some form of OSHA coverage. It is time for that to change. Contact your U.S. Representative today and ask them to help end the 26 years of unfair treatment of Flight Attendants. Ask them to sign the Defazio-Boehlert letter asking the FAA to step aside and allow OSHA to provide Flight Attendants with safety and health protections. (A similar Senate letter is in the works. We will notify you as soon as it is released.)

You can locate your Representative's contact information by going to the APFA Web site at www.apfa.org and clicking on the "Write To Congress" link.

Representatives that have already signed the letter are: Representatives Peter Defazio, Sherwood Boehlert, Rush Holt, Tom Lantos, Gregory Meeks, Stephen Lynch, Barney Franks, and Frank Lobiondo.
 
Before a pilot will go to battle for this I am pretty sure that most will want to tackle the issues, problems, and concerns that face "pilots"- Not to say this issue isn't "important" BUT if you make a pot of coffee, read some of the issues that are effecting alot of pilots right now and you can probably see where the "priority" is.. You may want to post this on a "flight attendant" message board where their will probably be more interest shown..

cheers and good luck to you
350
 
Thanks!! I try and stay informed on both sides and try and help both sides out as much as I can! I know there are a lot of important issues out there and just thought I could post this anywhere so it could be effective and maybe someone on this pilot board might want to help a fellow crewmember out in fighting for something they deserve. Happy Flying!!
 
Julie-
By all means you are welcome here on this board anytime...I hope that posting this will generate quite abit of "positive" feedback for you which I am sure it will...Good luck in your fight

Safe flying
350
 
Are pilots protected by OSHA? I am under the understanding that we are considered "radiation workers" due to the higher level of radiation we recieve (as compared to your 9 to 5'er). I don't mind the suntan. Racoon eyes are hot to some women.
 
Julie,

I for one am unwilling to support your efforts without a lot more information. For instance, what is the difference to you and the airline operation if you're under OSHA rules rather than FAA rules? Will you be forced to wear hearing protection? Radiation monitors? How about rubber soled shoes? Prohibited from assisting with bags? Need to wear a safety line if the galley door is open (don't laugh, dumber stuff than this is now law)?

Will OSHA be used as a club by disgruntled FA's to drag down the operation? "There's a puddle in the galley. This aircraft isn't moving until my OSHA rep gets here." Better just to wipe it up, hm? What happens if you take pity on some blue-hair passenger and strain your back lifting a bag, in violation of OSHA guidelines? Will you now be ineligible for worker's comp since you disregarded the rules yourself?

In my somewhat limited experience, OSHA is a good idea gone bureaucrat-crazy, with not much common sense involved. It resembles the FAA in this regard, but OSHA doesn't have much experience with your work environment, making it possibly a bad risk. It's entirely possible that you've been protected more than you know, considering your unique workplace, by not being under OSHA guidelines. Be very careful what you ask for.

You may be right that FA's would be better off under OSHA protection, but you'll have to provide some kind of analysis to prove it. Please post more info.
 
I have to agree with Jeff G's sentiments. Plus they know nothing about aviation.

Also, unless anyone has ever dealt with OSHA, they make the FAA look like the poster children of Gov't bureaucracy. With my business, I see them around every 12 months. I'd prefer to have a root canal done by our POI with no painkiller then deal with them.

Julie, talk to your union. They are the ones with the knowledge to help.
 
Last edited:
I have to agree with Jeff. I smell a hidden agenda here... kind of how the AFA shamelessly used 9/11 to sucessfully push for limits to one carry on, even though they have been asking for it for years. Funny how the reason used to be "flight attendant workload" and then it conveniently switched to "safety".

I envision a world where FAs refuse to work because of puddles in the galley, refuse to serve valued passengers because of a little turbulence, etc...

This may have positive ramifications, but with the information presented, it seems like just one more excuse for someone not to do their job. There's already too much of that in this industry.

Like Jeff said, let's see some more info. Until than, I'm going to ask my representatives to say NO to this.
 
Julie,

What protections are you looking for? Can you work with the FAA to get them. I would think you would be better off lobbying the FAA for what you are looking for. OSHA is a BAD thing. I have worked in several industries where OSHA was there to protect us. OSHA has had some good ideas for safety but, as a whole they have gotten out of hand. They are bored desk jockies looking for policies to force upon others. They seem to have no idea how to do your job yet they are extremely eager to write policies on how to do your job. Good luck.

P.S. Be careful for what you wish. You might get it.
 
OHSA has never had jurisdiction over organizations that come under the Department of Transportaion. I've always thought that was kind of funny and always wondered why. A couple of years ago OHSA made a drive to have jurisdiction in the marine industry, a place where it is much more desperately needed than in the cabin of airliners. The US Coast Guard had a fit because they have always had jurisdiction over marine safety. Anyway, the Coast Guard won out. I always wondered if this was sometype of federal turf war.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top