United Flight Attendants Picket For Improved Wages, Contract at Airports Across the Country As Executive Comp Skyrockets
CHICAGO (April 11, 2024) — Today, United Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), demonstrated at 17 airports worldwide to demand United executives stop the delay tactics and reach a fair contract. The latest action from Flight Attendants comes on the heels of United Executives receiving double-digit compensation increases in 2023, according to the airlines’ proxy statement. The CEO’s compensation alone increased by 90%.
“If the airline has money to award execs with massive compensation increases, we expect to receive the same,” said Ken Diaz, AFA United President. “United Flight Attendants are the lifeblood of this airline, and management needs to come to the table now with an offer that reflects our critical contribution.”
Flight Attendants and United management have been in the second federally-mediated bargaining session this week. AFA filed for federal mediators to step in after management refused to jointly enter an expedited process to conclude two years of overdue negotiations.
United Flight Attendants pointed to the recent contract United Pilots negotiated as well as the Tentative Agreement (TA) between Southwest Airlines and Transportation Workers Union Local 556 (TWU 556). Flight Attendants worked through the pandemic after years of austerity following 9/11 and massive consolidation. The improvements due now are significant.
Across the country, thousands of Flight Attendants took to the picket lines today to tell United management: “Corporate greed doesn’t fly!”
Flight Attendants and management will return to the table for more mediated sessions in the coming weeks. While negotiators return to the table, the Flight Attendant union is preparing for all options to arrive at a fair deal.
