United Airlines flight attendants voted down the new labor contract that offered up front raises of at least 26%. On Tuesday, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA made their choice public. Such important step makes public the ongoing battle for better pay and working conditions for airline workers. Even with a nearly thirty percent pay raise, flight attendants considered that offer wildly inadequate to settle their years of ongoing requests.
The rejected contract included average pay increases of 3.5 percent a year. It instituted a number of quality-of-life upgrades aimed at making the in-cabin working conditions better for flight attendants. The union members felt that these provisions did not adequately recognize their contributions to the airline’s success over the years.
For more than a decade, flight attendants have taken the lead in organizing and agitating for raises. Their acute raise was in 2020. In May, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and United Airlines negotiated a tentative agreement. When it got put to a vote, the flight attendants firmly defeated it.
Ken Diaz, president of the union’s United chapter, summed up the mood of the flight attendants immediately after the vote.
“United Flight Attendants today voted to send a strong message to United Airlines management by rejecting a tentative agreement that didn’t go far enough to address the years of sacrifice and hard work to make the airline the success it is today.” – Ken Diaz
This contract rejection marks another episode in the bitter, and perhaps irreparable, conflict between United Airlines management and its labor. It highlights the crisis in compensation and job satisfaction. Instead, flight attendants understand their jobs are a critical part of the airline’s long-term success. The industry feels it’s due an increase in pay, commensurate with rising costs and expanded contributions.
As these negotiations proceed, it will be interesting to see how United Airlines reacts to the outcome of this vote. The union’s rejections BIG demonstrates that flight attendants are resolved to fight for an improved deal. They’re looking for a deal that gives them everything they need.