Alaska Airlines flight attendants have rejected a new tentative collective bargaining agreement that promised them an average 32 percent pay raise and an increase in onboard benefits. 68 percent of crew members who participated in the vote voted against the proposed contract.
The results of the vote were announced by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), which represents the Seattle-based airline’s crew members, shortly after polls closed Wednesday afternoon.
After the vote was completed, the union announced that 68 percent of participating crew members had voted against the tentative agreement, although the turnout of eligible flight attendants was over 92 percent.
The local AFA council responsible for Alaska Airlines flight attendants said in a statement that it would “work to resolve members’ concerns as quickly as possible” and seek new negotiations with Alaska Airlines through the National Mediation Board.
The rejected contract had promised flight attendants an average salary increase of 32 percent, and on-board allowances were to be between 4.6 and 33 percent.
The proposed salary increases included an immediate 18% increase, followed by a 3% increase on August 15, 2025, and another 3% increase one year later.
To bridge the time the two sides sat at the negotiating table, Alaska Airlines had also agreed to pay the flight attendants a bonus retroactively for the past 21 months, based on the same formula as that used by Southwest Airlines.
In a brief statement, the union told its members that it would now seek feedback from flight attendants to find out the exact reasons for rejecting the agreement before presenting revised proposals to the airline.
The vote at Alaska Airlines came just a day after voting began for American Airlines flight attendants on a controversial tentative agreement reached last month after years of negotiations.
It is too early to predict the outcome of the vote at American Airlines, but the union representing the Fort Worth-based airline’s crew members has listened closely to the concerns raised by flight attendants and assured them that the proposed agreement is the best that could be negotiated.
Late last year, Southwest Airlines flight attendants soundly rejected a new tentative collective bargaining agreement before their union succeeded in negotiating an “industry-leading” contract just a few months later.
Alaska flight attendants had previously voted to authorize a strike if no agreement could be reached with the airline. However, such a strike would first have to be approved by the National Mediation Board, which has proven very resistant to such demands.
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