Transport Workers Union and Association of Flight Attendants collection

Collection

Identifier: L2001-01

Staff Only

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The collection, 1973-2001, consists of organizing materials from the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and counter-organizing materials from Delta Airlines. These materials include mailings, correspondence (letters and e-mail), computer printouts, newspaper articles, and artifacts (stickers, lapel pins, etc.) There are also a number of TWU and AFA publications (e.g., magazines, newsletters) as well as Delta Airlines publications (both employee and customer related).

Dates

1973-2001
Majority of material found within 1991 - 2001

Creator

Williams, Arden (Person)

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use. Access restricted to box 9 because of security concerns.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

Historical Notes

Historical Note on Transport Workers Union and Association of Flight Attendants

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) was founded in 1934. It represents workers in several different transportation and service industries. The TWU is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor -- Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the International Transport Workers Union (ITF). The TWU is organized on the international, industry type, and local levels. The Association of Flight Attendant (AFL-CIO) began as the Airline Stewardesses Association on 22 August 1945. After several transformations, it became the AFA in 1973 and was granted an AFL-CIO charter in 1987. Today, the AFA represents twenty-six airlines. Both the TWU and AFA have attempted to organize the Delta Airline flight attendants. Delta flight attendants voted against union representation in 2002, 2008, and 2010.

Biographical Note on Arden Williams

Arden Williams began her career as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines based in Chicago, Illinois, in 1978. She served as a FAST team representative working on programs with management for change. In 1988, Williams became a flight attendant instructor based in Salt Lake City, Utah and then in Atlanta, Georgia. By 1994, she served as a line flight attendant based in Atlanta and became a volunteer union organizer for the Association of Flight Attendants that same year. Williams began writing the "Plane Talk" newsletter in 1995. By 1997, she has also become a volunteer organizer for the Transport Workers Union. In 2001, she resigned from Delta Airlines.

Extent

3.75 Linear Feet (in 9 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

The collection consists of organizing materials from the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), and counter-organizing materials from Delta Airlines. These materials include mailings, correspondence (letters and e-mail), computer printouts, newspaper articles, and artifacts (stickers, lapel pins, etc.) There are also a number of TWU and AFA publications (e.g., magazines, newsletters) as well as Delta Airlines publications (both employee and customer related). Arden Williams began her career as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines based in Chicago, Illinois, in 1978, and she was heavily involved in organizing attempts at Delta Airlines.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Arden Williams, February 14, 2001 and March 4, 2014.

Processing Information

Processed by DeAnna Janecek at the file level, 2001; finding aid created by Pam Hackbart-Dean, October 2001. Additional material processed by Carley Henderson July 2014 and Thai Nguyen, February 2016.