United Airlines flight attendants have voted to go on strike unless the company makes “significant advancements” in its work ethics and wage compensation structure.
Ken Diaz, who leads the United Airlines chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), spoke about the urgency of the situation, stating that the aviation company is aware of the importance of flight attendants and no plane can go into the air if attendants go on strike.
Diaz pushed the company to immediately accept their demands of fair compensation, adding that the top company management has always announced an increase in their own perks. At the same time, the flight attendants remain unable to pay for their basic necessities.
He went on to slam what he called “corporate greed,” arguing that the overwhelming support for the strike means that the flight attendants are willing to receive compensation according to the value they bring to the table.
Apart from general wage increases, flight attendants are asking for compensation for their on-ground time, retirement benefits, and flexibility in their jobs.
The industry practice of paying flight attendants only for flight hours has recently come under massive scrutiny from worker unions. Insiders claim that these workers spend nearly as much time on the ground as in the air, yet they remain unpaid for the former.
The vote to go on a strike comes days before the busy Labor Day weekend, during which airport traffic has historically remained high. Some flight attendants suggested they wanted to give a strong message to the airline during this busy season.
However, United Airlines said that its operations are smoothly underway and that the labor supply is not disrupted.
It remains unclear what the implications for the travel industry will be if the flight attendants at one of the nation’s biggest airlines go on strike.
The concerns prompting the United Airlines flight attendants to go on strike are not isolated to them; more flight attendants from other airlines are also speaking out against unjust wage practices and poor living conditions.
Those in their first year of flight attendant careers are worried about poor salary structures that can go as low as $23,000 per year before taxes in major US airlines. This low compensation has also forced a lot of flight attendants to become homeless and sleep in their cars while spending days without eating.
One flight attendant from Alaska Airlines, Rebecca Owens, stated that passengers do not manage to see this side of things as they always see a happy and smiling flight attendant who is barely surviving in their real lives.
Sara Nelson, the AFA President, questioned the efficacy of the existing social contract, stating that the claims that you get a good life and manage to retire honorably after working full time are getting eroded in the aviation industry.
