United Airways’ flight attendant union is planning a strike technique, in hopes of maximizing the affect on operational reliability (because of @xJonNYC for reporting this). Nevertheless, it’ll be a while earlier than they’re ready to do that…
United flight attendants want a brand new contract
In current months, we’ve seen flight attendants at some main airways ratify new contracts, giving them a lot wanted raises. For instance, we’ve seen this at American and Southwest (Delta flight attendants aren’t unionized, so obtain proactive pay raises to remain aggressive).
United flight attendants are a notable exception, as they’ve been the final of the key airways in relation to negotiating a brand new contract. At first that was a bonus because of sample bargaining, since they noticed what flight attendants at different airways had been in a position to negotiate, and will go from there.
Nevertheless, arguably they’re not in fairly pretty much as good of a scenario anymore:
- Administration and the union proceed to be manner off when it comes to what they’re keen to accept (or not less than they declare to be)
- Whereas United flight attendants have voted to authorize a strike, the method of getting the precise to go on strike is difficult, and requires approval from the Nationwide Mediation Board
- The Nationwide Mediation Board has adjourned for the remainder of 2024, so nothing will likely be taking place within the coming weeks
- Even the Biden administration wasn’t keen to actually step in and authorize airline strikes, and I can’t think about that scenario will get extra pro-labor or pro-union beneath the Trump administration
- Demand within the airline business isn’t trending upward fairly in the way in which it was a 12 months in the past, so maybe flight attendants have rather less leverage with their negotiations
Truthfully, it’s fairly disappointing to see how the 2 sides can’t come to an settlement. United flight attendants completely deserve (and want) pay raises, given the extent to which the price of residing has elevated in recent times. It appears fairly clear what their pay ought to be, based mostly on the contracts ratified at different airways, and it’s time for the 2 sides to come back to an settlement.
United flight attendant union plots strike technique
The Affiliation of Flight Attendants (AFA), which represents United’s 25,000+ flight attendants, is beginning to devise a strike technique, although flight attendants can’t go on strike but. Unions love acronyms, after which identify of the sport right here appears to be “GUTS” and “CHAOS.”
The union is in search of flight attendants to volunteer to be placed on the confidential “GUTS” checklist, which stands for “Gearing Up To Strike.” The union describes these flight attendants as “frontline troops” who would be the first known as upon within the occasion of “CHAOS,” which stands for “Creating Havoc Round Our System.”
The thought is that if/when United flight attendants go on strike, the union doesn’t wish to orchestrate a widespread strike the place most flight attendants aren’t working, since members wouldn’t receives a commission, and that might get pricey for them, and couldn’t final for a very long time.
As an alternative, the union desires to be strategic about having as few flight attendants go on strike as attainable, whereas maximizing the operational impacts. In different phrases, the union would strategically have individuals strike in a manner that maximizes the variety of canceled and delayed flights. Because the union describes this:
“CHAOS is efficient via its aspect of shock. the GUYS checklist is rarely revealed as a result of it might give administration a leg up in attempting to find out the place we’d strike first.”
Now, after all this assumes {that a} strike is allowed in some unspecified time in the future. Whereas we’ve seen countless strike authorization votes at US airways, we nonetheless haven’t seen an precise strike amongst a piece group in a really very long time.
Remember that it might be unlawful for the union to coordinate some form of a strike with out permission, whereby individuals name in sick (or no matter) to maximise the affect on the operation.
UA FAs
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) December 14, 2024 at 10:26 AM
Backside line
United flight attendants aren’t in a very good scenario in relation to negotiating a brand new contract. The union and administration can’t agree on a contract, and so they’re a great distance off from a strike being licensed.
Nonetheless, the union is getting ready for a strike by soliciting flight attendants with “GUTS” who’re keen to create “CHAOS,” as soon as a strike is allowed. The thought is that relatively than occurring a widespread strike and shutting the airline down, the union as an alternative desires to be strategic by having a small variety of flight attendants go on strike in a manner that maximizes the variety of delays and cancelations.
What do you make of the United AFA’s CHAOS technique?
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