CWA Wins Job Consideration For Furloughed Airline Agents

CWA has won a guarantee from the Department of Transportation that it will give priority consideration to furloughed airline passenger service agents for the new airport security jobs.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, nearly 100,000 airline workers have been laid off, including about 2,200 US Airways agents represented by CWA who were furloughed.

In November, to address airport security concerns, Congress created a new federal force of 28,000 airline security screeners who will take over the work done by contractors using low-wage and untrained workers.

To help laid off CWA members at US Airways – as well as agents at other airlines – move into new airport jobs and to provide the nation with an effective, efficient airline security program, CWA stressed that furloughed airline workers should receive priority consideration for the new positions.

CWA President Morton Bahr then met with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and other members of Congress, reminding lawmakers and government officials that passenger service agents are well trained and already familiar with airport security procedures and so merit preference in consideration for the security screening
jobs.

The Department of Transportation agreed and has accepted from CWA the names, airport location and other information for about 2,200 laid-off US Airways agents applying for the security jobs.