Friday, August 16, 2024
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Sun Country Airlines flight attendants, represented by Teamsters Local 120, voted to authorize a strike; 558 members supported the decision.
“The people who run this company want to sit back and do nothing but collect a fat check while everyone else at Sun Country toils hard for a pittance,” said Tom Erickson, President of Local 120 and international vice president of the Teamsters Central Region. “You are in for a rude awakening. Our members are angry and will do whatever it takes to get what they deserve.”
Last year, Sun Country Airlines exceeded the $1 billion revenue mark for the first time and reported record revenue in the first quarter of this year. Despite this, flight attendants have not had a pay increase since 2016 and their collective agreement has been fully amendable since December 31, 2019. Their current salary is significantly lower than that of their colleagues at comparable airlines.
“Jude Bricker, CEO of Sun Country, told shareholders last year that they made a lot of money because of their ‘unique business model.’ That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life.” said Chris Riley, Local 120 Business Agent. “This carrier is making more money than ever by taking advantage of its workforce. Sun Country needs to share the wealth.”
“We voted to strike for one simple reason – Sun Country is dragging out the negotiation process and we are fed up. We are fighting for the contract we deserve,” said Tanya DeVito, a flight attendant and member of the bargaining committee of Sun Country Teamsters Local 120. “Ninety-nine percent of eligible voters approved a strike. That is not a number Sun Country can or should ignore. We expect a solid economic package to be presented to us at the mediation meeting in September, or we will take this to the next level.”
