AFA-CWA Wins Strong Tenative Agreement for United Flight Attendants

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants at United Airlines are preparing to vote on a tentative agreement reached with United last weekend through expedited mediation. Covering 15,000 Flight Attendants, the agreement makes significant strides in pay, protections against involuntary furloughs and increased work schedule flexibility.

The union defeated hundreds of concessionary proposals from United, including changes to healthcare and pay protections.

Under the agreement, Flight Attendants' wages at United would return to pre-bankruptcy levels, with 17.5 percent pay raises over three years. Flight Attendants would immediately get a 10 percent wage increase and a $5,000 signing bonus.

"For 10 years, United Flight Attendants have been fighting just to hang on, just to minimize the damage, just to live to fight another day," said AFA-CWA President Veda Shook, praising members' determination in defeating United's concessions. "This agreement provides restoration of wages, flexibility and quality-of-life improvements. It resets the industry negotiations and gets us moving forward."

Greg Davidowitch, AFA-CWA President at United, said, "Despite many obstacles and challenges, we remained undeterred from our number-one goal of reaching an agreement that addresses immediate needs and serves as a stepping stone to a single contract with our flying partners from Continental and Continental Micronesia. We are not done. This is just the first step toward the contract Flight Attendants are due."

AFA-CWA is mailing the agreement to every member's home and preparing for membership meetings at 14 locations in the United States and overseas.