25 US Senators have signed a note to United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby calling on him personally and United to quickly reach a deal with flight attendants, who have not seen a raise since 2021.
US Senators Want United Airlines CEO To “Personally Engage” In Flight Attendant Contract Negotiations
As contract negotiations remain stalled and a new administration less sympathetic to labor will arrive next month, 25 Democrat Senators penned a note to Kirby on US Senate stationery. It reads:
Dear Mr. Kirby:
We write to express our full support for the 28,000 Flight Attendants at United Airlines and urge you to return to the bargaining table to deliver a fair contract. Since the Flight Attendants’ collective bargaining agreement became amendable in 2021, we understand there has been little progress at the bargaining table. We encourage you to negotiate urgently to reach an agreement that recognizes these workers vital contributions to United Airlines.
Flight Attendants worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic amid not only a public health crisis, but also a surge in conflict and aggression on planes. Flight Attendants risked their own health and safety day after day and do the difficult, essential work that allowed United Airlines to thrive.
While United Flight Attendants have been working for nearly four years without a raise or any improvements to their contract, the airline has yielded billions in profits. As CEO, you have experienced a 90 percent increase in your compensation during this time. In October, United Airlines announced a $1.5 billion stock buyback plan, even as Flight Attendants struggled to meet their basic needs and keep up with the cost of living.
New collective bargaining agreements at United and across the airline industry have begun to reflect significant gains for workers after two decades of austerity and consolidation. We hope you agree that Flight Attendants have waited long enough for a contract that reflects their essential work. We urge you to personally engage in negotiations and help bring them to conclusion without any further delay.
We will be closely following progress at the bargaining table and are eager to see a fair agreement reached soon.
We look forward to your response.
The note mentions “little progress” that has been made at the bargaining table, which is a reflection of the union narrative rather than United’s, which has internally told flight attendants that progress is being made. It merits mentioning that the AFA-CWA union that represents 28,000 United flight attendants lent its chief negotiators to American Airlines, hoping that AA flight attendants would secure a lucrative deal (they did) so that United flight attendants could secure an even more lucrative one.
While not a horrible strategy at the time, that may have been a strategic blunder as the clock runs out on the Biden administration and a more pro-labor National Mediation Board.
The note mentions that flight attendants risked their safety during the pandemic, but they were also recipients of public welfare via the Payroll Support Program, which poured $63 billion into the airline industry so that flight attendants could keep their job during a period of highly depressed airline demand. Were it not for US taxpayers subsidizing them, many might have permanently lost thier jobs.
Kirby is scolded for his 90% increase in compensation while United has raked in “billions” in profit and for $1.5 billion in stock buybacks that were announced earlier this year. He’s also encouraged to “personally engage” in negotiations “to help bring them to conclusion without any further delay.”
Senators warn they “will be closely following progress at the bargaining table.”
What The Senators Get Right And Wrong
People who read this blog regularly assume I’m anti-labor but I am not…I just think the AFA often does not have the best interest of flight attendants in mind by the way it has conducted its negotiations, though I’ll stop short of attributing malfeasance to what may just be incompetence. I also think the “equal pay for equal work” mantra should apply here as well…junior flight attendants are underpaid for their work while senior flight attendants can enjoy a very comfortable life in a way that flight attendants across Europe look at in awe (I know, I’ve talked to several of them…).
I’m not inherently against stock buybacks, but think the announcement was tone-deaf when a deal with flight attendants had not yet been reached. I also think, in general, CEO pay is absolutely absurd and not at all a reflection of “market necessities.” Kirby is such an avgeek I bet he would do the work for $500,000/year instead of $18.6 million he made in 2023. That should be addressed by stockholder pushback, not government regulation.
The reality that flight attendants are easily replaceable (say compared to pilots or engineers) always means that pay will lag, but that’s almost moot here since flight attendants from other major airlines have secured raises so it is matter of when, not if for United flight attendants. Even so, some of the demands like perpetual 4% raises are insulting and unreasonable (and would directly contribute to economy-wide inflation)…and even the idea of backpay strikes me as an unreasonable ask (though of course, it is coming because like the seniority system, that’s just the way the system is built).
Senators are right, however, to urge Kirby to get personally involved. Kirby is a hands-on leader, sometimes called a micromanager. He should get involved because I think his presence could speed things along, both in making concessions but also shutting down the unreasonable asks from across the table. Kirby may be CEO, but the decision-making power for a new contract does not solely rest with him. Even so, I think he would be a great tool in bringing this deal to competition.
CONCLUSION
US Senators are urging Kirby to get personally involved in flight attendant contract negotiations and scolding him for taking a huge raise and announcing stock buybacks while flight attendants are stuck at 2021 wage levels. There are some reasonable points and some grandstanding in this letter, as you would expect from any politician.
I’ve included a photocopy of the original letter and signatures below:
top image: @scottkirby / Instagram
“Kirby is such an avgeek I bet he would do the work for $500,000/year instead of $18.6 million he made in 2023.” And you still believe in Santa, right?
I may be wrong, but if I ever get the chance to interview Kirby again, I’m going to ask him…
@Matthew … Also , ask him about the “do the work” part . As he had the PR staff write his letter to Trump , he may be a secret flake without ability to write letters .
Furthermore , he may be unwilling to contribute anything to the negotiations , because perhaps the company position was decided by the board based on the “Vulnerability of the FA to be Disposable Labour” .
Matthew,
When it comes to Sarah Nelson, it DEFINITELY is malfeasance! Her track record speaks for itself.
She is is full desperation mode, she gambled that Democrats would hold on to the White House, she never once calculated the possibility of Trump returning to the White House. Now with just weeks to go before a more pro-business friendly NMB takeover she now get Democratic senators to try and do her job for her.
I do believe United FA’s deserve and need a raise the one person who has 100% failed United flight attendants is Sarah Nelson, she’s not only failed United flight attendants she also has failed Alaska flight attendants as well as they also do not have a contract. Right now United is having its cake and eating it to. Their flight attendants are the lowest paid of AA, DL, and WN yet United is the second most profitable airline. United position is once a contact is ratified they will not pay 100% retro pay the AFA wants 100% retro pay plus more that isn’t going to happen under a Trump NMB. Under Trump United FA’s would be lucky to get the partial retro pay AA paid to their FA’s. Then there are United’s work rules, something United has long wanted to change if the AFA wants this settled they are going to have to make some serious concessions which would bring United’s work rules more in line with the work rules at AA and DL.
Then there is the matter of Delta Airlines FA’s which was the whole reason the AFA wanted United to go last. The AFA wanted United to exceed American Airlines contract and if they did that they promised Delta FA’s if they voted for the AFA they would then exceed United’s contract. Now it’s looking like AFA will not exceed American’s contract they would be lucky to match American’s contract and with that failure the AFA once again looses the chance to unionize Delta FA’s.
Sarah Nelson is a joke and a failure long with the AFA.
I know it will never happen but just release already and let the chips fall where they may!!
So the contract was ratified in 2016 so really a lot of the wages being paid today to United Flight Attendants does not reflect inflation and that’s understating it.
Asking for a 4% raise after the contract becomes amendable sounds like a lot to you but it’s to prevent what is going on now. Raises not keeping up with inflation.
Furthmore, it’s already known Delta flight attendants get a raise of 4%-5% each year so really what it’s trying to ensure is that 1. The pay for flight attendants keeps up with inflation 2. That United Flight attendants are getting yearly pay increases similar to Delta flight attendants
But we all know United is cheap.
@Justsaying … +1 .
Why, in a world where, until recently, inflation was 2% would you agree to give them 4% a year when all they to do to get it is not negotiate a new contract?
If it’s 4% per year guaranteed it gives UAL incentive to negotiate in good faith. Not drag it out for three or four years. They dragged their feet with the pilots and now with flight attendants and mechanics. Because of the antiquated Railway Labor Act their is nothing any of the work groups can do to force UAL or any other major airline to negotiate in good faith to come to an agreement on a contract at the amendable date.
Seriously, people wonder why Luigi Mangione has taken on folk hero status around the country. As the divide widens in this country history has shown us throughout the world that it leads to violence and unraveling. This is exactly why the American Oligarchs are moving so far right. What they forget though is the line from the old song sung best by Janis Joplin, “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”
Perhaps he acquires folk hero status among the economically illiterate. Kirby is fulfilling his fiduciary duty to bargain hard with labor to keep costs down as much as feasibly possible. If he gives up the farm too easily it deteriorates profitability. That would eventually cost Kirby his job. Ultimately it’s board of directors and shareholders that mandate maximum earnings per share. If Kirby doesn’t do that, they’ll replace him with somebody else that will.
The issue with these crew contract negotiations is the seniority system. It ties down employees and prevents them from leaving for greener pastures. Technically, they can but they’ll lose all their seniority.
What should be happening is rather than striking, the union accepts what they perceive is a substandard offer and eventually leave United for the higher paying airline without losing seniority. Let free market dynamics give crews genuine leverage rather than a strung out negotiation up until the point of striking to agree to a contract.
As someone who has worked in every different environment imaginable: government, academia, small business, and corporate America, here’s my observation:
Generally, promotions in most established corporate environments is similar to that of politicians and performance is largely secondary. Don’t get me wrong in that if they mess up terribly for a while they get canned, but usually with more money than you could imagine winning in the lottery (BEFORE) taxes.
I wish I had listened to a manager 40 years ago who advised me that success was about being likable, not efficient and that “getting the job done” and being a jerk about it was regarded with disdain even if it was good for everyone.
I found it amusing when executives mused in townhall meetings how they wanted to do good in the world AFTER they retired, usually some PC/Woke cause but yet made everyone’s lives miserable (except for their cronies) while they were in their position.
@PolishKnight … +1 .
In military , the straight-forward approach to criticism can impress the right commander :”You are wrong , Sir”.
Or , the straight-forward approach to criticism can alienate the wrong commander .
It’s a crap shoot .
“Perhaps he acquires folk hero status among the economically illiterate.”
Yes, which is a significant majority of the country. And it seems they are all heavily armed, or capable of being, and as the Oligarchs move to control more it seems that “the others” will do the thing that history has proven over and over again as to response. Why? They have nothing left to lose.
The French Revolution was not that long ago.
What a BS observation.
Thank you for your BS opinion of my comment with absolutely no reasoning behind it.
Hard not to assume that Kirby got a big raise because the flight attendants didn’t get a raise.
@Bob … Touche .
@Bob: I’m not sure that is fair…I just think that if UA could bypass the AFA and make direct offers to the FAs, there would have been a deal six months ago matching Delta’s.
I love your optimism but there is so much else besides pay that needs to be fixed that I don’t think the company would offer without pressure from AFA. The way trips are built is horrendous. Working two legs, sitting 2-3 hours in the terminal, then a red eye flight is unsafe…and this is how trips are built, god forbid there is a delay. And it doesn’t count as overnight flying because the check in is so early (but you’re still working till 6-7am). Would love to see Kirby be on duty from 5pm-6am! And it’s even more of an issue for reserves who are available 24 hours on their days of reserve availability.
The long sits in outstations have gotten out of hand, they often schedule a 3 hour sit + and aircraft swap in CUN where there are no facilities, made to wait in a hallway inside customs. Leaving FAs in an outstation without a crew room for up to 4 hours costs the company nothing. Trip construction is something the company has direct control over and can improve whenever they want. So I have no faith that “direct negotiation” would ever lead to something constructive.
@Matt … Excellent summary .
Too right. You know why they build trips like this?? Because they can!! It’s a disgrace creed should claim fatigue en mass-hope they start this week!!
Line construction and trip construction are my #1 priority, far more important to me than hourly pay or pay increases. The way they’ve been built the past few years is destroying my health and causing the newer flight attendants to quit in droves. I don’t think Sara Nelson or anybody at AFA or anybody on the United negotiating committee, union or management, even has that on their radar.
And, they’d pay no union dues. Unions exist to make union officials (and maybe mobsters) rich.
That’s a myopic view of all unions.
This is total bullshit. If management offered delta wages, boarding pay and even 75% retro pay whilst keeping most everything else book it would pass. They aren’t offering that, are they?
All they want to do is delay delay delay maybe offer better wages and crumbs for retro and hope they bite.
Delta enjoys its pay and work rules as a parallel benefit. If other airlines were not unionized Delta would not be incentivized to keep their employees satisfied.
Good Luck to the United flight attendants. Hope this helps with an contract agreement
Do you think for 1 second if fa’s worked for free, that airfares would go down 1 cent ir would Greed Lead The Way right into execs pockets. Stop being a feckless sycophant.
So, a list of the bottom quarter of the Senate “brain trust.”
This is a joke, right? From Babylon Bee or the Onion?
A bunch of losers who’ve helped put our country trillions of dollars into debt, regularly practice insider trading and can’t even pass an annual budget want to tell Kirby how to run his business, They purport to be standing up for flight attendants yet could care less how much senate staffers are paid and what their working conditions are….
Maybe his job could be outsourced to a competent Indian since they seem to be doing a much better job than these overblown CEOs. And of course it’s typical for you to justify his high salary.
No CEO is worth that much especially an idiot like this.
If you read closely, you’d see that I didn’t justify the high salary…
Like Vasu Raja from AA who pointed AA in the wrong direction…. nice try tho.
I savor the irony of Senators objecting to someone’s raise, when they just were who complaining loudly when the huge raise they attempted to give themselves was cancelleed,
Why would back pay be unreasonable? It is wages the stewardess would be owed for working under an expired contract, it’s in no way a ‘bonus’. It would also prevent the company from thinking that allowing the contract to be that expired is at all acceptable!
Allowing the contract to expire does not mean they are not paid – it means they are paid the last prevailing wage. Huge difference. Sorry, but working folks are not seeing 40% raises over the last four years…
When airlines delay negotiations, some flight attendants can go for 4 years or more without a wage increase. flight attendants need to bargain in advance for a wage that will be reasonable against inflation 10 years hence, 4-5 years for the term of the anticipated term of the upcoming contract plus 4-5 years for negotiation and ratification. It may be noted that if UA had engaged in earnest with the AFA at UA, and negotiated in earnest early, they may have achieved pay rates less than AA and without retro pay – OOOPS any one on UA board taking note?
Kirby has always been anti employee. America West then American and United. He treated employees poorly. If the Board of Directors feel he deserves $33 million which is stolen directly out of flight attendants pockets, they need to think again. The flight attendants can create CHAOS and shut down the airlines in one day.
Flight attendants spend more time with customers than any other work group. They are away from home more than any other work group. Many flight attendants are living in their cars or sleeping in the crew rooms. They deserve an industry leading contract.
Kirby needs to stop the corporate greed or the flight attendants will shut the airline down. .