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United Airlines is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a new contract with its flight attendants, more than five years into the long-running labor dispute. The carrier and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) have both suggested a deal could be reached this month following a week of intense negotiations in Chicago.
If finalized, it would make United flight attendants the best-paid in the industry over the length of the contract, offering a significant victory for workers who have gone almost six years without a new contract. However, there are still some major hurdles to overcome before a tentative agreement is reached, including a dispute over United’s new proposed crew scheduling system.
New United Flight Attendant Deal Reportedly Close
One of the longest-running labor sagas in the industry’s history could be coming to a close this month, with United on the cusp of agreeing a new labor contract with its flight attendants. As reported by Forbes, the AFA-CWA spoke of “substantial progress” during the latest round of talks in Chicago last week. The union — which represents around 35,000 flight attendants at United — has been pushing for a new deal for over half a decade now, and a breakthrough now appears very close.
As Simple Flying reported last month, United’s latest contract offered “industry-leading” rates that would make United’s crew the best-paid flight attendants in the US, but was rejected due to several remaining issues with scheduling and concessions. Nathan Lopp, vice president of labor relations at United, said in an internal memo that the airline is “encouraged” by progress and expects to “finalize signing bonuses and other remaining items” at the next mediation session later this month. Lopp said,
“Over the term of the agreement, pay for every flight attendant at every level would be top of industry. During this session, we made progress on several other areas that the AFA has indicated are priorities for you, including wage rates and alignment on language for redeye rules and sit pay.”
Day Of Protests Suspended
Prior to this week’s progress, United attendants had planned a “Day of Action” for March 19, but this has now been suspended pending further news. Although the S-word was not explicitly mentioned, the AFA-CWA said it would “aggressively move the process forward” if no progress was made, suggesting possible strike action in the coming months.
The two parties have scheduled another round of mediation in Washington DC this month, set to take place from March 24 to 27. While a tentative agreement is strongly expected to emerge from these talks, the specter of strike action remains if a deal cannot be reached.
United and AFA-CWA previously reached a tentative agreement last summer. However, United flight attendants ultimately rejected the deal, with 71% of members voting against it. United has enjoyed exceptional profits in recent years, racing ahead of rival US airlines in terms of its profitability, along with Delta Air Lines.
What’s Taking So Long?
United’s contract became amendable in August 2021, but both parties have been deadlocked since then due to several key issues of contention. At the heart of recent negotiations has been a standoff over United’s proposed “Preferential Bidding System” (PBS), which flight attendants have reportedly outright refused to endorse.
Although this system is already in use at other major US airlines, United’s crew are reluctant to accept it. The airline argues that the system would be more efficient and enable it to fund higher pay, replacing its older line bidding system. Flight attendants have also lobbied hard for “sit pay,” which would compensate them for time spent waiting between flights.
The upcoming discussions in Washington DC will determine whether United’s crew will be forced to adopt the PBS system, or perhaps agree to a hybrid system that gives priority to senior members, as well as the resolution of other remaining issues.
