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The SNPNC, representing French cabin crew at Air France and 17 other French airlines, has been a long time friend and partner of AFA. It’s been so for more than 20 years! This is not a polite political declaration motivated by the ongoing representation vote. It’s the simple truth and I’m here to tell the facts: In 1992, I was hired as a United Airlines flight attendant based in Paris. Being a French citizen assigned immediately to fly international routes, the leadership of AFA, at the time, wasn’t impressed with us, even though we were fullfledged duespaying members. So instead of whining, I took action and very quickly took on the Council Rep position and eventually was elected LEC VP for CDG. I’ve always seen AFA as a family, where members are bound by the same creed, where disagreements occur but the door is always open for dialogue and constructive change. The CDG flight attendants took part in AFA’s democratic process and we participated in shaping AFA to what it has become today. And the change came from within: AFA is today the largest flight attendant union in the world. It was created and it is led exclusively by flight attendants for ALL flight attendants. be they US, German or French citizens. Throughout the 14 years of the Paris base, the SNPNC stood by AFA’s side and offered support and advice whenever help was needed. After United closed the Paris base, I became a SNPNC union rep at French carrier Europe Airpost. Today I am Deputy Secretary General at the SNPNC’s executive board and I meet with AFA’s presidentelect Veda Shook on a quarterly basis to join forces on a global cabin crew union coalition of the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) in London. The United flight attendants are stronger with the active support of other international flight attendant unions and AFA is a privileged partner of the SNPNC and a reputed and respected leader. Veda, who speaks fluent French, is a “new generation” union leader and brings AFA to a new level on the international labor scene, but she is above all a flight attendant like you and me. Despite a very busy union agenda, she still enjoys flying on a monthly basis and she remains connected to the needs and issues of all the flight attendants. On the other side of the Atlantic, it appears as an absolute aberration that United flight attendants would consider surrendering representation by other flight attendants to a machinist union. It would mean destroying the hard work, sacrifices and historic fights brought on by Ada Brown more than 65 years ago when she created the first flight attendant union which grew to become AFA. Change is good, change is healthy, as long as it comes from within and as long as each one of us takes on the challenge and gets involved within our own union family : AFA On behalf of the SNPNC, I am very proud to endorse AFA and I urge all United flight attendants to vote for the only TRUE flight attendant union : The Association of Flight Attendants. In Solidarity, Alan MAYER Deputy Secretary General – Executive Board SNPNC
