Labor Leader Sara Nelson: No One Expects Flight Attendants to Be Militant

All Ears with Abigail Disney

This week on All Ears, Abby is joined by Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Sara is a force to be reckoned with. As one of the most powerful labor leaders in the country she’s devoted her career as a flight attendant and union member to improving the conditions of working people. At the height of the pandemic, she helped assure that aviation workers got paid and kept their healthcare, by negotiating for some of the strongest protections in the CARES act. And during the 2018-2019 government shutdown her leadership played a significant role in then-President Trump finally agreeing to end the shutdown. In this week’s conversation with Abby, she talks about why, under capitalism, there must always be a struggle between workers and management, the power and necessity of unions, and why she loves to be called militant. Plus, her recollections from the United Airlines crisis room on September 11, 2001. Tune in for an exciting conversation about the power and potential of organized labor.
EPISODE LINKS
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: Sara Nelson
Flight Attendants Tell Airlines: Don't Even Think About Concessions (Labor Notes)
How Labor Unions Won Historic Protections for Aviation Workers (Forbes)
The Shutdown Made Sara Nelson Into America's Most Powerful Flight Attendant (New York Times)
The Ascent of Labor Leader Sara Nelson, Workers' Great Hope (Fast Company)
Sara Nelson is the face of the militant modern labor movement (Fast Company)
The New Union Label: Female, Progressive, and Very Anti-Trump (Politico)
CARES Act Payroll Support to Air Carriers and Contractors
Sara Nelson on Twitter: @flyingwithsara