HOUSTON – Hundreds of United Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), announced the approval to authorize a nationwide strike ahead of Labor Day weekend.
The vote, which saw over 90% participation, resulted 99.99% in favor of the strike authorization.
According to a release, the strike will be authorized if management fail to agree to significant improvements.
“We deserve an industry-leading contract. Our strike vote shows we’re ready to do whatever it takes to reach the contract we deserve,” said Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of AFA. “We are the face of United Airlines and planes don’t take off without us. As Labor Day travel begins, United management is reminded what’s at stake if we don’t get this done.”
This is the first time since the 2005 bankruptcy negotiations that flight attendants at the major airline voted on strike authorization. Recent strike authorization votes have propelled negotiations forward at American, Alaska, Southwest, and other airlines.
Reasons behind the strike
United Airlines flight attendants are demanding significant improvements, including a double-digit base pay increase, compensation for time spent working on the ground, retroactive pay to the amendable date, enhanced schedule flexibility, better work rules, job security, retirement benefits, and more.
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“The United management team gives themselves massive compensation increases while Flight Attendants struggle to pay basic bills,” Diaz said “The 99.99% yes vote is a clear reminder that we are unified in the fight against corporate greed and ready to fight for our fair share of the profits we create.”
Next steps
With the strike authorization in place, the union may now request a release from the National Mediation Board (NMB), which would trigger a 30-day “cooling off” period and establish a strike deadline. The AFA has a trademarked strike strategy known as CHAOS™ (Create Havoc Around Our System), which allows for flexible and unpredictable strike actions. This strategy means the union could target the entire system or a single flight, with the timing and nature of the strike kept secret from management and passengers.
United Airlines flight attendants have been working under an amendable contract for nearly three years and filed for federal mediation over eight months ago. As the Labor Day weekend approaches, the potential for disruption looms large, with negotiations hanging in the balance.