The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), AFL-CIO, applauded a decision by the National Administrative Office (NAO) to review charges that Mexican airliner, TAESA, committed numerous violations of workers' rights and that the Mexican government failed to uphold its obligations under NAFTA's labor side agreement.
TAESA fired nearly 100 flight attendants following their vote to join ASSA, Mexico's largest flight attendant union.
According to AFA, TAESA endangered workers by forcing them to fly beyond the maximum hours allowed by law and by refusing to compensate flight attendants for working overtime.
TAESA flight attendants are also charging that the airline flew planes with overwhelming number of safety problems.
Flight attendants at TAESA documented numerous safety violations aboard TAESA jets, including the one that crashed in November of 1999 in Urupan killing 13 passengers and five crew members, according to AFA.
The NAO has 120 days to review the charges and issue a public report.
AFA is urging the NAO to hold a public hearing on TAESA's treatment of flight attendants and the Mexican government's approach to the airlines abuses.
At the end of the process, Mexico could be subject to fines of up to $50 million and TAESA could face economic sanctions.