Standing Strong with Passenger Service Agents

In a message to CWA's passenger service members at Piedmont, Envoy, and American Airlines, CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt outlined what CWA is doing to support passenger service agents who increasingly are facing attacks and assaults on the job from passengers.

Earlier this year, as a result of CWA members' work delivering petitions, holding meetings, and pressing elected representatives and the administration to address this serious and growing problem, the Departments of Justice and Transportation confirmed that the Aviation and Transportation Security Act covers "airport rage." That law sets federal penalties for interfering with airport and airline personnel who have security duties, clearly including agents.

"This was an important step, but we want to be certain that airlines, law enforcement, and government do everything possible to safeguard agents," said Honeycutt, who heads CWA's airline bargaining council. CWA is sending passenger service members a wallet card to keep with them on the job that provides specific information on what agents' rights are and what to do when assaulted by a passenger. More information also is being provided for workplace bulletin boards.