Negotiations must begin somewhere, but it seems that management and labor are growing further apart at United Airlines when it comes to a new contract for flight attendants.
As Negotiations Continue, Flight Attendants At United Airlines Outline Wage Demands
United Airlines is the last major US carrier to agree on a new post-pandemic contract with its flight attendants. The two remain in constant conversation, with the National Mediation Board (NMB) now involved. 99% of flight attendants have voted to authorize a strike, but any potential strike would be many weeks away (permitted, per federal law, only 30 days after the NMB has determined the two sides have reached an “impasse”).
We hear two very different sides of how such talks are progressing. From management contacts, I hear that most issues have been ironed out and while there is a difference in numbers, an agreement is within reach. But from flight attendants, I hear a very different story. I’m told that the two sides are very far apart on compensation as well as other benefits like leave time, healthcare, 401(K) contributions, and scheduling flexibility.
JonNYC shares an internal document from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) union representing flight attendants that outlines its current demands. Those include:
- 28% immediate pay raise
- 4% annual raise until a new contract is signed
This offer was presented earlier this week (September 23, 2024) in San Antonio, Texas at the 12th mediation session.
“From AFA at UAL. Asking for 28% immediate raise, 1/2 of base pay for ground pay (so all non-flying duty hours), and a 4% raise every year until a new contract is agreed on.” pic.twitter.com/QnO031m14u
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) October 3, 2024
Practically, this represents a slightly more generous deal (3–4%) than flight attendants at American Airlines recently secured. But as View From The Wing points out, what makes it potentially much more lucrative is that United is expected to report a higher profit than American Airlines, meaning flight attendants will make more even if the contract–including the profit sharing formula–is identical to AA’s.
But United will never agree to an indefinite 4% annual raise…it’s simply a non-starter.
Bottom Line – A Deal Is Coming
From my vantage point, the union is unsurprisingly seeking a more lucrative deal than American Airlines or Delta Air Lines…it would be derelict not to. And it will probably get it too…although maybe 1-2% more rather than 2-3% more. The result for consumers will be higher airfares and perhaps even onboard cutbacks to pay for this new deal–the money has to come from somewhere.
But we live in this twilight zone where even though United would have no trouble replacing all of its flight attendants for folks willing to work for less than today’s stalled wages, that simply is not going to happen…and a big pay raise is coming. Thus, I’m hopeful that both sides will cut the drama and simply get the deal done so that consumers do not start receiving poor service in indignation over the lack of a new contract (which, to the great credit of United flight attendants, I have not seen…yet).
image: United Airlines
The AFA is showboating they already knew when they proposed this it would be a nonstarter. They are doing this because their ability to win their future unionization vote over at Delta Airlines depends on them securing a deal that far exceeds the deal American Airlines flight attendants just ratified and also depends on them getting a deal with United that perhaps Delta may not match (at least not without pressure from a unionized workforce).
I don’t see an AFA/United deal being done before spring of 2025 and even that maybe overly optimistic.
If UA does not want to be fair to the FAs , then the FAs ought to strike .
Fair = give them what they ask .
And I want a free first class round-the-world ticket on Singapore Airlines, while we’re asking for ridiculous impossibilities.
Where’s Frank Lorenzo to bust these unreasonable unions when you need him?
.. he should be dead by now.
Best airline in the solar system deserves the best FA pay in the solar system.
Speaking of the solar system, I wonder if there are flights that shows the new comet in the next week? It’s speculated to be a dazzler
Correct if I’m wrong but the contract expired 2021. So fair is a 12% increase, 20% back pay bonus (or about 2.5 months pay) and 4% increase yearly for 5 years.
Also fair would be a 3% pay cut because Medicare payments (which go to doctors and nurse practitioners) got cut 2 years in a row. Biden cut Medicare. Trump doesn’t promise to restore it…says nothing.
You completely didn’t even mention ground time pay. Lazy af are we?
Even worse, you are lazy AND entitled. A bad combination that all of us witness each and every day. You barely deserve to be a Starbucks Barista let alone serving a premium cabin. Or economy for that matter.
Less than the dock workers want/got.
Where do I send my application to become a UA FA?
I love the 4% in perpetuity feature. If they get inflation to 2%. There would be little reason for the union to pursue a new contract in the future. To be fair, locking the union into 0% raises on contract expiration (the staus quo) does the same for the airline.
I am glad you think the fa’s are easily replaceable. They are trained safety professionals first. Truth is after 6 weeks of training, being on call, and working a hell-ish couple of summers, the attrition rate is currently quite high: starting pay is low and the glamour has faded
They are – and that doesn’t detract from the respect I have for FAs who love their jobs and keep me safe and provide warm and caring service.
With all due respect, you are a blogger who tends to favor UA and seemingly have toptier status (or at least I thought I read somewhere you did). I’m sure that helps guide their interactions with you when you travel.
For the rest of us, UA can be hit or miss. Sometimes it’s perfunctory, other times there seems to be a little more effort and a step above AA. But ever since CoVid, there has been a more pay/less work attitude. I’m not expecting service akin to SQ, but FA’s at UA need a reality check when they are demanding more money. Sure UA can pay them more, but what are they going to do for UA and the passenger experience as a whole to improve it?
You are trained safety professionals on the same level as a shopping mall security guard. Actually, they are probably trained better.
Your greatest “trained” ability is to first ignore, second roll your eyes, and third get on the intercom and ask for help from passengers. If you are safety professionals, well, may god help us all.
The Trolley Dollies really need to be brought down to reality. This is a capitalistic economy where supply and demand determine both prices and wages. Don’t like it, move to Europe where Unions are still a relevant thing. Stop whining and do your job, the ENTIRE job description.
Seeing as how Ron DeSantis single handedly ended the dockworkers strike, I propose that he be in charge of all large union negotiations in perpetuity.
“the money has to come from somewhere.”
Let’s do some napkin math: Law says 1 FA per 50 passengers so let’s go for 1/40. So the math is reasonably simple: Divide the total compensation (including onboarding costs) an FA receives per flight by 40. Google says a legacy FA flies about 100 hours per month. Assume a total compensation package of $90K/year=$7.5K/month=$75/flight hour=$1.875 per passenger flight hour. 3 hour flight should be about $5.625 (total). Perhaps an increase of $2 due to this contract?
Now granted, there’s probably something in there I missed but my point being that the cost of an FA should be relatively minor compared to all the other overhead of a plane flight particularly fuel, of course, but also the plane itself, airport taxes, and general logistics (guys like me who code the backend, sadly, under appreciated these past 2 decades.)
Now granted, compensation is sometimes not directly related to quality of service (as I’ve noticed recently with servers at restaurants demanding a 20 percent tip for lackluster service). FA’s are the most personal element of service most passengers experience although the backend is also taken for granted: The gate agents (a great one is the difference between irregular operations being in a minor inconvenience and a disaster) and the pilots and mechanics that make an assumption of travel safer than the automobile a modern entitlement.
US carriers seem to have an over inflated opinion of themselves. Flight attendant have no respect for management. If there is an “onboard manager”, senior crew will do as they please breaking company policy & safety regulations.
FAA rules state only safety related duties are carried out once the aircraft door is closed. In order for this to be done all customers must be seated & overhead lockers closed. I’ve seen FA’s at US carrier perform duties such a meal orders in biz class whilst taxiing; this is hardly ensuring customer safety.
Carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Qantas, British Airways, Emirates, etc have a defined chain of command in the cabin. The presence of crew members who have responsibility to performance manage crew who refuse to comply with safety regulations, grooming standards, reduces the inconsistency US carriers are know for.
For those who believe 1 to 50 is an acceptable standard for Cabin Crew levels with minimal perks & pay…ultra low cost is readily available in the USA. The skills & knowledge required by cabin crew in Europe, Asia, & Oceania are beyond your comprehension.
Outside the US bubble, airlines have struggled post covid to attract candidates with the required skill set of they have not adjusted terms & conditions upwards. Some carriers have re-employed staff retrenched during the pandemic as they so desperately required the life experience lost in order to regain trust in their brand post pandemic.