Airliner United Airlines is facing the possibility of having a strike on its hands after its flight attendants voted in favor of strike authorization on Wednesday.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), which represents United Airlines flight attendants, confirmed that more than 90% of flight attendants took part in the vote, and 99.99% of them filed a supporting vote.
United Airlines flight attendants are looking for an increase in base pay as well as improvement of working conditions, including pay for time at work on the ground and schedule flexibility. The negotiations with United Airlines have been ongoing for a while now, but there hasn’t been any positive movement just yet, and they have been working on amendable contracts for the past three years.
It is important to note that strike authorization doesn’t mean that the strike is imminent. The union can now request a release from the National Mediation Board (NMB), which would result in a 30-day “cooling” period and a strike deadline. Even then, NMB would have to determine that the two sides are at a standstill and give its permission.
“We deserve an industry-leading contract. Our strike vote shows we’re ready to do whatever it takes to reach the contract we deserve,” Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of AFA, said in a statement. “We are the face of United Airlines, and planes don’t take off without us. As Labor Day travel begins, United management is reminded of what’s at stake if we don’t get this done.”