United Flight Attendants Turn Against Tentative Contract, Cite Failed Union Leadership

By Leila

a woman pouring water into a plastic cup

I’ve been speaking to a lot of United Airlines flight attendants about the new tentative contract and a strong consensus seems to be emerging: they are voting it down. Let’s explore why.

“We’re Voting No!” United Flight Attendants Revolt Against Tentative Contract

View From The Wing notes a change.org petition calling on United flight attendants to dump the AFA-CWA union, alleging it has let workers down and wholly mismanaged the negotiations for a new contract. Here’s why many flight attendants are angry:

  • No new contract in nearly five years, yet dues continue to be deducted with no results. Meanwhile, union leadership awarded themselves a 37% pay raise.
  • Stagnant wages and alleged “wage theft” from payroll errors, unfair policies, and mismanagement…leaving flight attendants out of pocket without union support.
  • Reserve system failure: new hires are financially drained and unstable, struggling under a broken scheduling system.
  • Union blocked reinstatement of pensions: leadership allegedly voted down a company-offered pension reinstatement, sacrificing attendants’ financial security.
  • Secret side-letter during COVID: the union signed a vaccine-mandate agreement without member input, forcing workers into unpaid leave or termination.
  • Executives get bonuses and stock buybacks while flight attendants go unpaid and unprotected…and the union has remained silent.
  • Strike authorization ignored: after 99.9% of flight attendants voted to authorize a strike in 2024, the union stalled instead of acting.

The petition says, “This is our chance to reclaim our power, fight for what we deserve, and build a union that actually represents us.” I’m not sure all of these points are fair: for example, what was the AFA supposed to do concerning the strike authorization when even the National Mediation Board during the Biden Administration made clear there would be no strike?

On the other hand,  AFA President Sara Nelson, herself a United flight attendant, seems far more interested in advancing her own political career than winning a leading contract for her colleagues. Furthermore, hindsight is always 20/20, but it does seem the union erred in waiting until other airlines negotiated contracts before negotiating a contract for United employees.

CONCLUSION

United flight attendants appear unhappy with the tentative contract and most that I talk to say they will be voting against it. The grievances listed above, whether fair or not, help to explain why.

I feel like when I write stories like this, I’m quickly attacked for being anti-union, but that is simply not the case. As the airline I use most, I know that flight attendants have been waiting patiently for a new contract and I want to see this completed. There’s no reason why United flight attendants should not enjoy a contract that is as competitive as Alaska, American, or Delta.


image: United Airlines