PITTSBURGH, Pa.—The United Steelworkers union is supporting a campaign by flight attendants to reverse a Transportation Security Administration decision to allow knives in aircraft cabins for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001.
Leo W. Gerard, president of the labor organization that includes rubber industry union members, pledged the USW's full support for the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, a group representing nearly 90,000 flight attendants that want to change the TSA decision.
The TSA said air passengers would be allowed to carry knives with blades up to 2.36 inches as of April 25. The flight attendants coalition is planning a series of actions to increase pressure on the TSA to reverse the decision.
"One of the most important jobs our leaders have is to stand up for the safety and health of the people in our workplaces and our communities," Gerard said. "We fully support our hard-working brothers and sisters whose workplaces are in our aircraft, and we join them in urging the TSA to put a stop to this ridiculous and unsafe plan."