Association of Flight Attendants - History

History

AFA was founded in 1945 by flight attendants at United Airlines. The first president was Ada Brown Greenfield. The organization was originally known as Airline Stewardess Association or "ALSA". In 1949 "ALSA" merged with the Air Line Stewards and Stewardess Association, a division of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). In 1973 ALSSA flight attendants chose self-determination and formed an independent Association of Flight Attendants, leaving ALPA. In 1984 the AFL-CIO granted AFA a charter. Seeking to maintain services and expand its resources in the face of a massive layoff of flight attendants after the September 11, 2001 Attacks, AFA members voted in 2004 to merge with the Communications Workers of America, maintaining its autonomy and identity within CWA.