TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY: August 22
Chris Garlock | Published on 8/22/2025
1945: Five flight attendants form the Air Line Stewardesses Association, the first labor union
representing flight attendants. They were reacting to an industry in which women were forced to retire at the age of 32, remain single, and adhere to strict weight, height and appearance requirements. The association later became the Association of Flight Attendants, now a division of the Communications Workers of America.