Stronger Together: Envoy Agents Vote for CWA Representation

Nearly 5,000 Envoy Air agents joined together and voted overwhelmingly for CWA representation in an election conducted by the National Mediation Board.

Envoy Air workers say, "CWA, Yes!"

The agents work at 102 stations nationwide and have a broad range of responsibilities for passenger service and fleet service work. Envoy is owned by American Airlines Group.

Several agents attended the vote count at the NMB, including Takisha Washington, Christopher Rhodes and Aushya Hoover.

Takisha Washington from Dallas-Fort Worth said, agents "need a union to create fairness, a safer work environment, job security and better wages."

Christopher Rhodes of Little Rock, Ark., said, "This is going to really help people out. We will be able to bargain for things like days off and health care, and we will be able to bargain to improve our wages."

"This means everything to me," said Aushya Hoover of Rochester, New York. "We work right next to mainline airlines and they implement different rules for us. We're treated unequally and unfairly. Now that we have a union, we can finally get some parity."

Envoy agents celebrate their union after the vote count at the National Mediation Board in Wash., DC.

"I think it's great that Envoy agents have voted to be part of CWA," said Chris Kress, an American Airlines passenger service agent at Dallas-Fort Worth. "We can't let the company pit us against each other and against even lower paid contractors who are not employees. Now all agents at the New American Airlines – Legacy AA, Legacy USAirways, Piedmont and Envoy – are part of the CWA family. Like our red wrist bands say – we are stronger together. It takes all of us standing together to improve our wages and working conditions."

Envoy agents have been mobilizing for the right to union representation and to negotiate for fair wages and to improve their jobs. Without a union voice, agents had little or no job security and no say about their wages, as their work is often outsourced to a lower bidder. Their jobs are stressful and demanding, with agents cross-trained and cross-utilized to carry out a number of different jobs.

In addition to the Envoy agents, CWA represents 15,000 agents at American Airlines and about 4,000 agents at Piedmont. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA represents nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants at 19 airlines.