ITF aviation secretary sends a congratulation letter the TWU
April 24, 2018
Cabin crew at JetBlue Airways, one of the few groups of unorganised cabin crew at a major airline, have voted to join the ITF affiliated Transport Workers Union of America (TWU).
The vast majority of the airline’s 5,000 cabin crew took part in the vote, and 67 per cent of them voted to join the TWU.
The biggest issues for the cabin crew are similar to cabin crew and in general aviation workers issues in many different parts of the world: wages and benefits, the need for a due process procedure for disciplinary actions, and job security in the event of a merger or an acquisition.
In a congratulation letter to the TWU dated 23 April, Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez, ITF civil aviation secretary said:
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I read the excellent news that you have succeeded by a 2-1 margin in your recent vote in JetBlue. As a movement we can proudly say that both of the US’s largest lowcost airlines are unionised, thanks to the work of the TWU. Organising one of the largest airline’s in North America is a statement in itself given the current political climate, and the continued struggle of trade unions in the region.
Not only does this victory have strong implications for the low-cost sector in the US, it also clearly reflects that unions and low-cost airlines can work together symbiotically. The myth of low-cost carriers being only able to survive without unions has been broken once again by the work of the TWU.
I look forward to working with you and your team more in the future, and hopefully meeting some of the fantastic new union leaders that will come from JetBlue.
Tags: JetBlue, Transport Workers Union of America, TWU, union organising, vicotry