Flight Attendants Advocate for Higher Wages Following Pilots’ Payday
Flight attendants from major U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, took to the picket lines on Tuesday to demand higher wages and better working conditions. This comes after airline pilots secured significant pay raises in their labor deals last year. The demonstrations, which marked the first joint pickets by flight attendant labor unions, were held at airports across the country.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, expressed the need for the aviation industry to address the long-standing period of austerity that flight attendants have endured. She stated, “We have been in a period of austerity for 20 years, and it’s time the industry paid up.” The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA represents cabin crews at United, Spirit, Frontier, and other airlines.
The push for higher wages for flight attendants comes as many of them have not received pay increases since before the pandemic. While the cost of living has risen sharply in recent years, flight attendants’ salaries have remained stagnant. According to the Labor Department, flight attendants earn an average of about $67,000 per year, with salaries ranging from around $38,000 to $97,000. Inflation has hit new hires particularly hard, making it difficult for them to make ends meet.
One of the key demands from flight attendants is to be compensated for their work before takeoff. Currently, most flight attendants are only paid when the aircraft door is closed. Unions are advocating for ground pay or boarding pay to compensate flight attendants for their pre-flight responsibilities. Delta Air Lines, whose flight attendants are not unionized, began paying them for boarding at half their hourly rate in 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic added to the challenges faced by flight attendants. As travel resumed, cabin crew members had to deal with packed planes, reduced staffing, overloaded schedules, and unruly travelers. The stress and increased workload took a toll on their well-being. Flight attendants are demanding better working conditions to ensure their safety and job satisfaction.
Despite the picketing and calls for higher wages, the aviation industry is unlikely to experience strikes or work stoppages similar to those seen in the auto and entertainment industries. Flight attendants’ contracts do not have expiration dates and would require federal release to go on strike. However, several flight attendant unions have approved strike authorizations, and all four major carriers are currently negotiating with their flight attendants’ unions through federal mediation.
Southwest Airlines flight attendants, for instance, rejected a tentative agreement in a vote last year. The airline stated that it is committed to continuing negotiations with the union and the National Mediation Board to reach an agreement that benefits its flight attendants.
The fight for higher wages and improved working conditions by flight attendants is part of a broader trend in labor movements across various industries. Autoworkers, Hollywood writers, and major companies like UPS have all secured pay raises recently. Flight attendants are determined to ensure that their contributions to the industry are recognized and adequately compensated.
As the negotiations between airlines and flight attendant unions continue, it remains to be seen whether the demands for higher wages and better working conditions will be met. The aviation industry, which has been heavily affected by the pandemic, must find a way to balance labor costs with the need for profitability. Flight attendants play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers, and their voices deserve to be heard.
