Mary Pat Laffey is a Fighter

These were standard Northwest Airlines regulations. In 1964 The Civil Rights Act was passed, which stated discrimination based on gender could not be used in the workplace in America, a fact most stewardesses did not know.

For years male flight attendants could be married, have families, and apply to be a purser, which earned a higher salary than flight attendants. Males received single rooms at hotels. Stewardesses could not apply for purser positions, had to share rooms, and must leave if they married or had families. The Northwest Airlines work manual stated that when a male flight attendant was on board he would always be in charge, regardless of his seniority.

In 1965, Laffey became the union rep for Seattle-based stewardesses, a position without compensation. She was then elected Master Executive Chairman—monitoring contract compliance for all Northwest flight attendants. She hoped she could help coworkers who were forced to retire for marrying or turning thirty-two.

Northwest stewardesses were the first group of women to appear before the Equal Employment opportunity Commission. The commission agreed with their case, but it lacked the power to enforce the decision.

In 1967 the stewardesses won the right to fl y after they married, after turning thirty-two, bid for the purser positions, and wear eyeglasses at work. However the fight had just begun. Northwest hired five pursers off the street, all male, without making the positions public. Laffey confronted management and they were forced to post the purser bids. She was the first woman to bid for a purser position at Northwest. After passing a test that had never been required before, Laffey scored higher than the male applicants and became the first female purser for Northwest.

Laffey and forty stewardesses went on to sue Northwest Airlines for discrimination violations such as salary inequities based on gender.

To hear more about Laffey’s successful court battles, join her at the DesMoines Activity Center at 7pm on April 16, 2045 S. 216 in Des Moines. A $2 donation is suggested. For more information, call 206-878-1642.