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Three separate unions representing flight attendants at main U.S. airways are picketing and holding rallies at 30 airports on Tuesday as they push for brand new contracts and better wages.
The flight attendants are more and more annoyed that pilots gained large pay raises final yr whereas they proceed to work for wages that, in some instances, haven’t elevated in a number of years.
They argue that they haven’t been rewarded for working by means of the pandemic and being liable for the security of passengers.
The unions are calling Tuesday’s protests a nationwide day of motion. It isn’t a strike.
Federal regulation makes it troublesome for airline unions to conduct authorized strikes, which will be delayed or blocked by federal mediators, the president and Congress. Mediators have already turned down one request by flight attendants at American Airways to start a countdown to a strike; the union plans to ask once more subsequent month.
“We respect and respect our flight attendants’ proper to picket and perceive that’s their method of telling us the significance of getting a contract finished — and we hear them,” American Airways mentioned in a press release Tuesday.
Flight attendants stay the final group standing on the negotiation desk with the Forth Price, Texas-based airline. Pilots for American Airways reached a brand new contract settlement in August that includes large pay raises and bonuses. Quickly after in December, American reached an settlement with roughly 15,000 passenger service brokers, the Dallas Morning Information reported on the time.
Tuesday’s protests have been organized by the Affiliation of Flight Attendants (AFA), which represents crews at United Airways and several other different carriers; the Affiliation of Skilled Flight Attendants, the union of crews at American, and the Transport Employees Union, which represents crews at Southwest and different airways.
United Airways in a press release Tuesday mentioned that its first negotiation session has been scheduled for March 19 by a federal mediator requested by the AFA. “We’re trying ahead to working with AFA to slim the problems in order that we are able to proceed to work towards an industry-leading settlement for our flight attendants,” the corporate mentioned.
Alaska Airways mentioned that its management and the AFA are persevering with to cut price and meet with a mediator, describing discussions as “productive,” in a press release Tuesday. “With six just lately closed labor offers on the firm and a tentative settlement reached in January for a brand new contract for our technicians, we’re hopeful to do the identical for our flight attendants as quickly as attainable,” the airline mentioned.
Southwest Airways mentioned in a press release issued Tuesday, “We reached an industry-leading Tentative Settlement with TWU 556 in October 2023 and are scheduled to fulfill subsequent week with the union and the Nationwide Mediation Board to proceed working towards an settlement that advantages our Flight Attendants and Southwest.”
Transport Employees Union Native 556, the union representing Southwest Airways flight attendants, overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract settlement by the airline in December.
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