The Great Stewardess Rebellion | Book Talk with Nell McShane Wulfhart – New Labor Book Series #4

Join our next virtual talk on Thursday, June 23, in our new(ish) series with authors of books on labor and organizing. This month, we’re speaking with journalist Nell McShane Wulfhart about her new book, The Great Stewardess Rebellion. We will also be joined by Kara Dupuis, a Delta flight attendant actively organizing with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA).

As we witness the current wave of flight attendants organizing across the US, we’ll speak with Nell about her research into the original airline stewardesses who fought for their rights in the 1960s and 70s. Come to discuss what lessons we can take from their stories—as travelers, workers, consumers, and advocates—to build a stronger worker power movement today.

As flying boomed in the 1960s, women across the US became stewardesses, as a way to see the world, and an alternative to traditional occupations like homemaking, nursing, and teaching. As the profession grew, “stews” were subjected to strict, oppressive rules about their appearance and personal decisions like marriage and children (both weren’t allowed). The stews organized, and as Gloria Steinem puts it, “stood up to huge corporations and won, creating momentous change for all working women.”

Event attendees will receive a complimentary copy of The Great Stewardess Rebellion. Instructions will be shared during the event. 

This Interintellect event is being organized by Roy Bahat of Bloomberg Beta, as part of our new monthly series of talks with authors of books on labor, co-led by Siena Chiang. 

About Nell Mcshane Wulfhart

Nell Mcshane Wulfhart a journalist from Philadelphia, currently based in Uruguay. She is a frequent contributor to the New York Times travel section and former columnist for “Carry On” from 2016-2019. She has written for Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, and T Magazine, among many others. She is the author of the Audible Original Off Menu.

Praise for the Book

“I’m so grateful for Nell McShane Wulfhart’s work on this. She’s told an extraordinary herstory–I was in tears. The Great Stewardess Rebellion tells the powerful history of Flight Attendants at American Airlines refusing to allow men to define them. Instead, Flight Attendants set the agenda, helping to turn a job into a career and a union of mostly women into a powerful force that broke through discrimination and sexism to define their worth themselves. This book sets the scene for the possibility of Flight Attendants uniting to lead all working people – no matter who you love or where you come from, every gender, race, culture, and creed – to redefine the value of work and the centrality of unions in a thriving democracy.”

–Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

“Vivid, inspiring and full of twists, The Great Stewardess Rebellion reveals how a pair of young women helped build a mighty union and transformed an industry forever. Wulfhart has unearthed a story of rare power, and she tells it with passion and skill.”

–Jason Fagone, author of The Woman Who Smashed Codes

***

🗓 ii Calendar

📋 Code of Conduct

📚 Become a member, get a free ticket every month (FAQ), access our forums, members-only events, and more!