Airline workers express concern about aggressive passengers ahead of Labor Day travel

Flight attendants and airline workers are voicing their fears of being assaulted by passengers ahead of a busy Labor Day weekend for travel.

Assault Won’t Fly is the campaign launched by members of the Transport Workers Union in response to the mistreatment and violence flight attendants and airline workers say they experience while on the job.

The campaign started one year ago. Those involved in the campaign have been at airports across the country handing out wristbands and postcards to raise awareness.

“We need to make sure that it is no longer a danger for flight attendants and other airline workers when they go to work,” said Thom McDaniel, international vice president of the Transport Workers Union.

Assault Won’t Fly is also hoping to build support for the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act in Congress, which aims to better protect airline workers and creates a nation-wide banned passengers list for anyone who is convicted of assaulting an airline worker.

One member of the Transport Workers Union told News 12 that there have been over 1,800 reports of assaults against airline workers this year, saying they saw a rise in violence during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased flight delays and cancellations.