United Airlines flight attendants are preparing for a potential strike as contract negotiations enter their fourth year. The Association of Flight Attendants’ United chapter announced on Tuesday that they would hold a vote to approve a mass work stoppage.
“United Flight Attendants can’t afford to wait for improvements,” said Ken Diaz, the union’s president, representing 28,000 members. “We deserve an industry-leading contract, and we are ready to show United management that we will do whatever it takes. There is no time to waste. Our negotiations are at a critical state, the issues are clear, and the time to act is now.”
The current contract expired in 2021, and United’s flight attendants remain the only unionized employee group at the airline without a new contract, according to the company’s latest annual report. The workers are looking at the situation at American Airlines, where flight attendants have also been working without a contract for years, and they believe that the threat of a strike might expedite a resolution.
The voting period will be from August 1 to August 28. Similar votes at American and Alaska Airlines were nearly unanimously approved by their respective memberships. While several steps are required before an actual strike could occur, the possibility remains a significant factor in ongoing federally mediated bargaining sessions.
The flight attendants are demanding several improvements, including “double-digit” wage increases. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, during an October earnings call, CFO Michael Leskinen acknowledged that the company anticipates having to agree to some pay increases.
“Looking ahead to 2024, we feel good about the core fundamentals of our expenses,” Leskinen said. “However, we are facing sizable headwinds with labor and the expectation of a new flight attendant agreement.”