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United Airlines flight attendants seeking a new collective bargaining agreement have just announced a new escalation in their negotiations. With 99.99% of voting members in favor, the workers announced that they authorized a strike should the talks reach a dead end.
“We deserve an industry-leading contract. Our strike vote shows we are willing to do whatever it takes to get the contract we deserve,” said Ken Diaz, president of the United affiliate of the larger Association of Flight Attendants union, in a statement. “We are the face of United Airlines and planes don’t take off without us. As travel begins on Labor Day, United management is reminded of what is at stake if we don’t get this done.”
When the vote on authorizing a strike demanded last monthThe union said this was intended to increase pressure on United to reach an agreement. The flight attendants’ contract expired in 2021.
“We continue to work toward an industry-leading agreement for our flight attendants, including negotiations this week and every month through November,” United said in a statement provided to Quartz. “Both sides have actively participated in these negotiations, which have been facilitated by the federal mediator requested by the union. We remain committed to reaching an agreement.”
At the beginning of the year, flight attendants from American Airlines surprisingly close to a strike before announcing that they had reached a tentative agreement after five years of negotiations paused due to the pandemic. The flight attendants’ contracts are governed by the Railroad Labor Act, which has stricter rules on when unions can conduct work stoppages because they would disrupt interstate commerce.
“Under the Railroad Labor Act, the (National Mediation Board) will let the parties negotiate as long as they see the potential for agreement,” the American flight attendants union said in an update for members“This means that if the company invests another tens or hundreds of millions in the agreement, the NMB will keep the pressure on both parties to reach an agreement. While we do not agree on how long or how difficult it is to exercise our right to strike, if there is movement, the NMB will demand further negotiations.”
