Thu, Sep 11, 2003
'We Still Lack Mandatory Anti-Terrorist Training Two Years
After September 11th'
Two years since a handful of
fanatics hijacked four jetliners and forever changed the airline
industry Capitol Hill has yet to enforce federally required
anti-terrorist security training for the thousands of women and men
who comprise the ranks of U.S. flight attendants.
"Until all U.S. flight attendants are required to attend
mandatory anti-terrorist security training, we're leaving gaping
holes for terrorists to exploit," said Guy D. Meek, Northwest
Airlines Flight Attendant and President of the Professional Flight
Attendants Association. "Our lives, and the lives of our passengers
remain in danger, and that's unacceptable." With the recent
government warning that Al-Qaeda is again targeting airliners,
leaders of unions representing more than 85 percent of all U.S.
flight attendants again are calling for mandatory anti-terrorist
training.
Although Congress has already passed
two bills providing for flight attendant anti-terrorist training -
the Air Transportation Security Act, and the Homeland Security Act
- airline executives continue to exploit loopholes to dodge
mandatory training.
Unlike many of our counterparts in the industry,
Northwest flight attendants have been fortunate to partake in
a voluntary anti-terrorist training program, following a
grass-roots campaign by the company's attendants in early 2002,
said PFAA Vice President Jose Arturo Ibarra. "While that was a
great first step for Northwest attendants, and the industry, we
still need a federally mandated program for all attendants," Ibarra
added.
Recently, Continental Airlines (CAL) lobbyists were able to
water down the conference report of the FAA Reauthorization Bill,
removing any requirement for the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) to require mandatory flight attendant security
training guidelines. "Apparently, Continental - an alliance partner
of Northwest Airlines - isn't as concerned about the safety of
their frontline," said Gary Helton, PFAA Secretary Treasurer. "If
our elected representatives allow this FAA Reauthorization bill to
pass as is, we're all at risk."
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