8.24.23 – Negotiations Update #30: The Fight Continues!

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Negotiations Update #30

The Fight Continues!

As the August 29th deadline to vote for strike authorization approaches, we want to outline some of the key things at stake in this round of bargaining. The Pilots just ratified their agreement which provides 46% wage increases over the duration of the contract.

It’s our turn and We Are Ready!

Show us the Money!

Flight Attendants are hurting and need dramatic economic improvements right now. With stagnating wages and high inflation, we are due major increases in pay and other economic provisions. We have proposed industry-leading compensation and the company has yet to respond.

Simply put, without a strong strike authorization vote, the company will nickel and dime us.  

We also want to be compensated for the time we work which is why we are proposing boarding pay. On the heels of an organizing campaign, Delta instituted boarding pay which provides an opportunity to secure this provision in our contract.

Beyond this, our 401K lags behind the industry, and current profit sharing is a joke. We have a targeted list of financial improvements and are not going to settle for second rate.

If you believe we need to be paid more, we need a strong strike authorization vote. 

Scheduling and Reserve Improvements are a Must!

APFA has proposed a targeted list of improvements in scheduling, hours of service, Reserve, and International. These sections constitute the core of our contract and we are looking for improvements. We are fighting for adequate layover rest including behind the door, and to tighten up scheduling rules.

Incredibly, the company is moving in the opposite direction. In a previous hotline, we published the list of scheduling demands of the company which would gut our scheduling provisions any time the company thought they may run out of reserves.

We need to send a loud and clear message through our strike authorization vote.

Improving Our Contract

We have reached agreement on many sections of the agreement, but the remaining issues are important. We are fighting for deadheading and crew rest provisions where the company wants to treat Flight Attendants like second-class citizens. We are pushing for effective grievance and system board language so we can hold the company’s feet to the fire and defend our contract. We need more vacation and to end this silliness that some days pay 3.5 hours, and some pay four.

These and many more issues remain open. All these issues we have argued at the table but to get real movement, we need to show the company 26,000 Flight Attendants are demanding change.

Respect

We flew through the pandemic during the heart of covid. We handled stressful situations and unruly passengers because that’s our job. We helped secure pandemic relief, keeping the company out of bankruptcy and securing our jobs. We have endured bankruptcies and mergers.

And we kept flying through it all.

It’s time for the company to concretely recognize our value. As the world’s largest carrier, at a company making billions in profits, it’s time to recognize the value of the Flight Attendants with an industry-leading contract. We Are Ready!

No Struggle, No Gain. 

Simply put, this is why we are asking for authorization to call a strike. To secure the best contract possible, the company needs to understand they are negotiating with 26,000 Flight Attendants who are demanding change.

Workers all over the country are standing up against corporate greed.  Workers at UPS recently threatened the largest strike in decades, winning improvements. Writers and actors are on the picket lines and autoworkers are threatening the same. It’s time for change.

If you have not voted, please vote. If you have voted, please talk to your flying partners and encourage them to vote.  

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Need Help Casting Your Strike Authorization Vote?

It is imperative that everyone casts a strike authorization vote to show management that we stand firmly behind our Negotiating Committee.

When are APFA Representatives available to help with voting?

Help with password resets to access the APFA website and other voting-related questions is available. APFA Representatives will be available at the following times to assist you (all times in central time):

4:00am- 7:00am CT (password resets only)

• send a text to 806-4STRIKE (806-478-7453) for password resets only, or
• send an email to [email protected]

7:00am- 7:00pm CT (password resets and other voting-related questions)

• call or text 806-4STRIKE (806-478-7453) for password resets and voting-related questions.

7:00pm- 2:00am CT (password resets only)

• send a text to 806-4STRIKE (806-478-7453) for password resets only, or
• send an email to [email protected]

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Remember, wear your Union pin and red lanyard every trip, and affix your luggage tags to your luggage before your next trip. Management needs to see 26,000+ Flight Attendants standing together for improvements to compensation, retirement, scheduling, and overall work/life balance.

In Solidarity,

Your APFA Negotiating Committee

Reese Cole
Kelly J. Hagan
Julie Hedrick
Timothy Legeros
Brian Morgan
Wendy Oswald
Susan Wroble
Joe Burns, Lead Negotiating Attorney

[email protected]