Across Colorado, aviation employees are facing a growing crisis: retaliation for using their state-protected Colorado FAMLI medical leave.
We’re seeing everything from written discipline to full terminations, the first of their kind, against employees who simply took time to heal.
As these workers navigate uncharted waters, one truth has become clear:
• The State of Colorado has been slow to act.
• Unions have struggled to protect their members from retaliation.
• And most of all, workers can’t afford to fight back.
Employment attorneys in Denver rarely take these cases on contingency. They require $5,000–$7,500 upfront retainers and charge $300–$500 an hour.
Even the first step, a demand letter outlining the laws violated and requesting reinstatement, can cost $10,000–$15,000.
If the airline refuses to settle, the fight can easily exceed $100,000–$300,000 in legal costs.
Most aviation workers simply don’t have those resources.
And that’s how corporations win, by outspending the people they wrong.
No more.
The Flight Attendant Legal Defense Fund (FALDF) is a nonprofit being formed to provide financial support for aviation employees retaliated against for using their legal medical leave.
FALDF will give workers a way to push back, access real attorneys, and hold airlines accountable when they break the law.
This GoFundMe will fund:
• The initial legal formation of FALDF, and
• The first cases of retaliation, setting precedent and sending a message that flight crews are not powerless.
We’re asking everyone in aviation, and everyone who believes in fairness, to contribute what you can.
Your donation protects not only today’s flight attendants and aviation professionals, but also the next crew member who gets sick and deserves to heal without fear.
One day, this fund will expand nationwide, to cover FAMLI laws in every state, and even federal FMLA protections.
Because no one should have to choose between their health and their job.
The aviation community is strong.
Let’s show every airline just how strong we are.
This is just the start. Together, we can build something powerful.
Protecting those who protect the skies.
Organizer
