CHICAGO — United Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), voted 99.99% yes, with over 90% participating, on strike authorization should management fail to agree to significant improvements. The results of the vote were announced live, simultaneously, on nearly 20 informational picket lines at airports across the country.
“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.
United Flight Attendants are demanding significant double-digit base pay increase, pay for time at work on the ground, retroactive pay to the amendable date, schedule flexibility and work rule improvements, job security, retirement and more.
“The United management team gives themselves massive compensation increases while Flight Attendants struggle to pay basic bills,” Diaz continued. “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.”
Now that members have authorized a strike, the union could request a release from the National Mediation Board (NMB) leading to a 30-day “cooling off” period and strike deadline. AFA has a trademarked strike strategy known as CHAOS™ or Create Havoc Around Our System™. With CHAOS, a strike could affect the entire system or a single flight. The union decides when, where and how to strike without notice to management or passengers.
United Flight Attendants filed for federal mediation over eight months ago and have been working under an amendable contract for nearly three years.
