WASHINGTON, D.C. — Breeze Airways Flight Attendants voted 76.3% to join the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) in an election certified today by the National Mediation Board (NMB). AFA continues the wave of union organizing in the south with Flight Attendants based in the least unionized state of South Carolina and Florida, Louisiana, Utah, and Virginia – all in the bottom ten.
“Breeze Flight Attendants filed for an election two weeks after taking their campaign public in January and kept organizing together to turn out a clear mandate for address their concerns at work. Today they gain the legal right to bargain and have a voice in their future at Breeze. We are inspired by their solidarity and thrilled to welcome them to our AFA family,” said AFA International President Sara Nelson. “Our labor movement is growing. Everywhere.”
Breeze Flight Attendants organized for a union and a contract due to ongoing issues with constantly-changing work rules, substandard pay for time on the job, inadequate hotel accommodations, insufficient work hours, and inconsistent and disrespectful treatment from management. Breeze Flight Attendants have faced an aggressive anti union campaign run by management up to the CEO with consultants from Ford and Harrison.
“Management broke out all the tired old union busting, but together we weren’t intimidated or fooled,” said Robynne Martino, Breeze AFA Organizing Committee. “Our work group spoke clearly. It’s time for Breeze to treat us with the dignity we earn every day on the line. We call on management to come to the table and negotiate a fair contract without delay.”
The Flight Attendant union now represents over 50,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines.
Breeze Airways, a low-cost airline headquartered in Utah, launched operations in May 2021 and has already grown to employ over 650 Flight Attendants. Flight Attendants are based in Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. This vote follows a successful union representation election for Breeze pilots with the Air Line Pilots Association in August 2022. The airline was founded by David Neeleman, a seasoned aviation entrepreneur who previously co-founded Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue, and Azul Linhas Aereas.
Featured photo: Breeze Airways Airbus A220-300 jet
Editorial photo credit: Angel DiBilio / Shutterstock.com
