August 28, 2010 - A Compass Airlines flight attendant, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), was terminated on Thursday after publicly revealing she qualified for foods stamps. Despite a full-time schedule, flight attendant Kirsten Arianejad was recently featured in a local television interview announcing that she had been approved for food stamps in order compensate for her low wages.

"Poverty is not a crime and it is despicable that Compass Airlines would fire an employee for speaking the truth,? said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. ?Unfortunately, there are flight attendants across the country who have to rely on federal and state assistance to make ends meet.

Instead of paying hardworking flight attendants a living wage, airline management would rather shame them and make them fear for their jobs. We call on Compass to immediately reinstate Kirsten Arianejad."