With time running out for the labor-friendly Biden Administration, flight attendant contract negotiations at United Airlines remain stalled with the two sides far apart and the union now resorting to petty name-calling.
Report: Contract Negotiations At United Are Not Progressing Toward A Deal, With Flight Attendants Calling CEO Scott Kiby “Greedy” And “Vicious”
A report suggests that federal mediators have made a “curveball decision” to suspend contract negotiations for the remainder of 2024. If true, that leaves flight attendants very little time to agree on a new deal prior to the incoming Trump Administration.
Disagreement remains on ground duty (boarding) pay, retro pay, ratification bonus, and inflation indexing. The AFA wants a 28% immediate raise and a 4% annual raise in perpetuity. United has scoffed at such an open-ended agreement.
Now, the AFA plans a “day of action” on December 19, 2024, telling flight attendants:
We refuse to let Scott the greedy Grinch steal our holiday wishes, do away with the concessions and quit being cheap and vicious.
Greedy grinch? Vicious?
I suppose it plays to the base…
But with a new administration coming in January that may fill the National Mediation Board (NMB) with more business-friendly board members, time is quickly running out for a new contract. In fact, it may already be too late.
In light of the NMB’s decision to suspend contract negotiations for the remainder of the year, it is looking more likley than ever that 1.) a contract is still far off and 2.) flight attendants will find a steeper hill to climb in finalizing a new contract.
While the union warns of CHAOS (“Create Havoc Around Our System”), that represents more targeted interruption as opposed to a widescale strike. Even that is only permitted with the permission of the NMB and this week’s news and the longstanding reluctance to declare an impasse may lead to lower wages for United flight attendants than negotiators have worked for years to secure.
Good, their demands are ridiculous given all they do is serve our coke cans and play on there phones the whole flight.
The higher quality FA demands are fair , considering the lower-level of average passengers .
I can relate to being poor and wanting a raise but this is over the top. Guaranteed 4%? Really? If someone wanted to make money I would suggest any other career than a flight attendant. I never got a guaranteed 4% raise and couldn’t even imagine it.
I appreciate everything that they do. I’ve met many wonderful FAs. But just stop. Either do your job or, if you’re unhappy, get another one. You had two to six weeks of training and you’re young. The CEO worked for a lifetime and crawled his or her way to the top over decades. You’re not even in the same ballpark much less city.
Praising the CEO on bended knee and ignoring the downstairs help … otherwise stated ‘kissing-up and stomping-down’ .
Kirby’s PR-written letter to Trump exposed him as an empty-of-substance kiss-up .
Let’s not forget that 4% ask is in perpetuity!
Kirby is clueless . I would approach the FAs with the “Alert method” , and everything would be resolved tout de suite.
Apparently the Flight Attendants at UA believe in working for Santa Claus. Someone needs to tell them they are being very bad elves.