United Flight Attendants Pressure Management at Airports Worldwide to Pay Aviation’s First Responders Fair Share
CHICAGO (March 19, 2025) — United Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, demonstrated at nearly 20 airports worldwide to demand that United Airlines management pay Aviation’s First Responders their fair share.
As recent aviation incidents have shown, Flight Attendants perform life saving work every day to ensure the safety and health of the passengers in our care. Management has dragged out negotiations while Flight Attendants’ pay falls further behind competitors. With record profits of $3.1 billion in 2024 alone, the airline has more than enough to negotiate an industry leading agreement with the Flight Attendants.
"United’s goal is to become the premier U.S. airline,” said Ken Diaz, United AFA President. “If CEO Scott Kirby wants to run the #1 airline, Flight Attendants must be #1 in compensation, benefits and workrules. It’s time to get this contract done. We will continue to fight until we secure the contract we deserve.”
United Flight Attendants are calling for:
- Significant double-digit base pay increases to lead the industry.
- More pay for our time on the job, including boarding.
- Retroactive pay dating back to our contract’s amendable date.
- Schedule flexibility, job security, and retirement improvements.
- No concessions.
United Flight Attendants overwhelmingly voted—by 99.99%—to authorize a strike if necessary. The message is clear: we are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure the contract we’ve earned. While United executives take home millions in bonuses, they continue to push for concessions and cuts for the workers who make air travel possible.
Negotiations have recently been progressing. United management has agreed to meet outside of scheduled mediation to move negotiations forward. While this is a step in the right direction, there is no time to waste to reach full agreement on the industry-leading contract Aviation’s First Responders have earned.
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 79 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. 55,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.
