Flight attendants for United Airlines assembled yesterday to protest at major airports for a new contract, which they claim is two years overdue.
United Airlines Flight Attendants Protest For New Contract, Work Improvements
The AFA-CWA union representing flight attendants at United Airlines says that flight attendant demands have fallen on deaf ears with United management. Let’s first look at the demands, then the protests.
The summer has primarily seen us rally against the prolonged call hold wait times. While that remains a pressing concern, it’s essential to remember the broader issues you highlighted to your Union leadership this year. These include:
- Call Wait Times at the Crew Desk and Flight Attendant Support Team
- Full implementation of the Contract
- Layover hotel and quality issues
- Reserve Pool numbers affecting trading and schedule flexibility
- Rescheduling issues due to aircraft schedule changes
- Catering Issues
- Reciprocal Cabin Seat Agreements
To address these issues, union leadership has proposed a number of solutions:
- Readjusting the Reserve Pool numbers to enhance flexibility
- Enhancing pairing quality for United Flight Attendants
- Adopting proactive measures in securing quality layover hotels
- Reducing prolonged sit times
- Expediting the establishment of Reciprocal Cabin Seat Agreements
- Immediate addressing of catering issues through local management
- Prioritizing the full implementation of the Contract
- Compensating United Flight Attendants for extended hold times
In an effort to bring attention to these concerns, flight attendants protested outside airports (both hub and spoke stains) yesterday, August 31, 2023.
https://twitter.com/AFASusannahEWR/status/1697344871525167497?s=20
What kind of power!? #unionpower .@AFAUnitedMEC .@AFA_cwa @CWAUnion #Solidarity pic.twitter.com/tIFcFdBq1C
— Susannah (@AFASusannahEWR) August 31, 2023
.@UnitedPilots out in force in ORD and across the country supporting @AFAUnitedMEC fight — telling management to fix operational issues and finish negotiating our contract! #SolidarityForever pic.twitter.com/MirJZPhAsh
— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) August 31, 2023
@afa_cwa In rainy weather, United's management falters, but not the Flight Attendants! The Day of Action is already underway, and Council 65 GUM made their presence felt despite the rain. pic.twitter.com/FNuP2fsDPy
— AFA United MEC (@AFAUnitedMEC) August 31, 2023
An incredible day of Solidarity and backing in our communities as United Flight Attendants tirelessly advocate for a much-needed contract to address salary, work regulations, and enhanced quality of life.#RedHotSolidarity #FixUnited #AFAUnited #unitedafa pic.twitter.com/7swA5Zb3Av
— AFA United MEC (@AFAUnitedMEC) August 31, 2023
It is not clear how far the two sides are apart: the union has continuously condemned United for not taking its concerns seriously, but in terms of a new contract, there are no numbers that have leaked out yet showing how far the two sides are apart.
CONCLUSION
You may have seen flight attendants protesting yesterday if flying out of an airport served by United Airlines. Expect more such events now that pilots have secured a contract and flight attendants have remained without a new one since 2016. While specific details of contract negotiations may not be public, growing dissatisfaction among flight attendants is something the traveling public should keep in mind.
image: @AFAUnitedMEC / X
I protest for better service and inflight accountability on board! #nomorecandycrush
You stole my words. Exactly, tell them to just do their jobs. Nothing else, nothing less. It would be amazing if they could all be fired and then open a recruitment just for the ones that want to work. Time to clean the swamp.
My first flight was in 1967 via Pan Am to London with Delta handling MSY to JFK via ATL.
The FAs were attentive, professional, courteous, dignified, etc.
Since then, its been down hill, especially in the last few years.
Just happy to get to my destination without a surly attitude, obsession with one’s phone, or denial of service on a two plus hour flight.
It’s the little things that count, but that appears to be lost in translation.
Yes and your flight was probably at least 40% more costly even with factoring in inflation. People were dressed up and civilized and didn’t act like entitled jackasses.
Cabins were not configured nearly as dense as they are today as well and load factors were around 60%!!!
Last year, during the summer of chaos, I honestly thought that FAs deserved a raise and gave some slack for the decline in service. However, based on my flights the past year, service on US carriers is still mostly the same and they are mostly playing on their phones/tablets and trying to shirk their job while on the clock while maintaining a power trip. I told this a few times on here and Flyertalk but the most egregious cases I saw personally was a DL 159 in Delta One when FAs were harassing a full-fare paying asian lady with her elderly mother who was recovering from surgery. They were being racist and insolent to them even though they did nothing wrong and were nothing but polite. Something similar with an FA on UA 20 in Polaris when an FA was a complete a—hole to an elderly hispanic man the entire flight just because he asked the FA to help him with his bag as he was trying to settle in his seat.
Honestly, during FA training, they need an etiquette training class like gulf and Asian carriers before they demand those things listed above. Sure there are a lot of polite and hardworking FAs out there, but in my opinion, it’s maybe only 50% of them in the workforce today for US carriers.
Real question here: can FA be fired for not doing their jobs? I mean, being rude, playing on their phones, etc… My understanding is that with unions it makes very difficult to get them out. When I see how many FA behave, they would not last a day in any other company but they continue working for the airline.
I use to work at UA corporate. Basically because of the FA Union it is almost impossible to fire an FA for poor performance or bad service. The union stewards will always protect them, the only way they really afce termination is for a blatant safety violation or if they start a physical altercation. From what I’ve seen they could basically tell a customer FU and still have their job otherwise.
Seven (7) years without a contract. No other industry can this drag on without some sort of wage increase.
Not certain from where you are getting 7 years. The contract was amendable in August of 2021 if I have my facts correct.
Since it’s been two years without a raise for many flight attendants. Add to that the horrendous inflation we have had to endure it’s like taking a pay cut!!!
Add to that the fact that UAL stole legacy United flight attendants pension. Many if not all will have to end up working 3,4,5 or more years in an attempt to plug that gap!!!
SHAME!!
It’s about time! Kirby is driving United into the ground.
When do I as a paying passenger get to strike because of the horrible service I get from flight attendants on AA?
I witnessed a passenger in front of me politely request a cup of ice from a elderly flight attendant recently when headed to USVI. Then witnessed the flight attendant turn out and verbally say “Jesus Fu**ing Christ” and walk away. Passenger never got her ice.
How about let’s get rid of the trashy flight attendants first, then let’s talk about how we can improve their hotel accommodations.
I think you, as a passenger, get to strike by simply choosing to not fly AA. Pretty simple. And don’t give me any fortress hub excuses…if it’s that bad, you can connect.
Not too worry flight attendants: a hundred new 787’s will fix all your problems.
If they sweeten the retirement benefits, you would probably see a lot of them retire. Instead, a lot (not all) hang on, are bitter at the company and take it out on customers and their flying partners.. But in my experiences, the F/A have been very good.
What retirement benefits?? See my above post where I referenced United stealing flight attendants pensions in bankruptcy….as a result t any will remain on the line years longer
The crew pictured certainly doesn’t look like a Team that would be inclined to serve you a pre- departure beverage in First Class. Frankly, I would feel intimidated to ask them for anything.
Think that’s by design given the context of a protest!!
I’m recalling that hard-working FA on a United flight IAH-PSP. No PDB. No drink service. No snack service. I’m not sure what she did in the galley, she kept the curtain closed the entire time. When a few first class passengers pressed the Call button, she angrily stormed over to ask, “What do you want?” in a very hostile tone. Sure, it’s only a bit over a two hour flight, but is this what United calls First Class service? And no, the Fasten Seatbelt sign was not on, it was a relatively smooth flight, up until the last few minutes getting into Palm Springs (it is always bumpy coming in/out because of the mountains and updrafts).
Whatever happened to the good old days when you had glamorous, hard working, well groomed under 40’s glamours. Now look at them. I mean folks, look at that motley lot in the image that comes with this item. Would you hire a bunch of activist Old boilers, gay rights, disheveled narcissists? United Airlines LOL. These clowns seem to think its about them. Here’s a tip folks, its not, its about the passengers. Go see Qatar folks, thats what good flight attendants need to be like.
Agree with you there on all points. If United would seriously look at appearance (weight, height, hairdos and high standards of dress etc), instead of being woke and dumbing it down to anything that breaths no matter how sloppy they look, they might actually be like an airline with employees that work and care and act it. Take a page from other carriers, ie, SingaporeAir, China Airlines, Qatar, etc. – they turn heads when they walk through international airports, do not look like a bunch of people who just walked out of Times Square and were hired yesterday – right out of Burger King. This also speaks for ground staff everywhere.
Realistically, I know this will not change because the age group and the people doing the hiring are all of the woke generation or too afraid of losing their jobs if they don’t march in step with it. I’m a United (ground staff) retiree and soooooo glad I’m out of it (other than the non-rev travel that I still do).
OK Brad Pitt. You and George Clooney…eeer I mean robo..turn heads I’m sure the minute you walk into the room. I can also guarantee you are not retired ground staff. Nonrev? I can’t believe you’d actually even leave your house with all the old not picture perfect people out here. Nuts!
How could you “guarantee” I’m not a retired ground staff?….. and duh, of course I’m a nonrev if I’m a retiree ? Don’t you know that non-rev retirees DO get travel benefits for life ? What a confusing remark all the way around. Nobody is talking about things ever having been perfect or expect perfection in the real world. I’d be living under a rock if I thought that, What are you – a 20/30-something that has no clue about how things were or might possibly think there could be improvements ? Try talking to people over age 50, 60, 70 years old; you might learn something.