Key Points:
- Southwest Airlines and union flight attendants tentatively agree on a new contract; details remain undisclosed pending a ratification vote by members.
- The previous proposal, rejected by attendants in December, sought an immediate 20% raise followed by four annual 3% raises.
- Southwest’s vice president of labor relations highlights the importance of attendants’ role in safety and passenger service.
- Disparities in pay raises between pilots and attendants underscore ongoing challenges in labor negotiations within the airline industry.
Southwest Airlines has announced a tentative agreement on a new contract with its union flight attendants, marking a significant development in their ongoing negotiations for pay raises. The deal, which covers approximately 20,000 attendants at the Dallas-based carrier, comes after a previous proposal was rejected in December.
While specific details of the new agreement were not disclosed, it represents a crucial step forward in addressing the disparity in pay raises between flight attendants and pilots among U.S. carriers.
The previous deal, which Southwest attendants turned down in December, would have entailed an immediate raise of 20%, followed by four annual raises of 3%. However, the attendants, represented by the Transport Workers Union, rejected this proposal, highlighting their desire for more favorable terms.
The union will now conduct a ratification vote among its members to determine whether to accept the new agreement. Adam Carlisle, Southwest’s vice president of labor relations, emphasized the crucial role of attendants in ensuring safety and providing passenger service, expressing satisfaction that they will have the opportunity to vote on the revised contract.
Last year, pilots at major U.S. carriers, including American, Delta, United, and Southwest, approved contracts that promised substantial pay increases of about 40% over five years. However, flight attendants have faced challenges in reaching similar agreements, leading to disparities in compensation across different employee groups within the airlines.
Notably, unlike their counterparts at other carriers, Delta Air Lines’ cabin workers are nonunionized and do not engage in collective bargaining over pay and benefits. This dynamic underscores the varied approaches to labor relations within the airline industry.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, major airlines have witnessed a robust rebound in travel demand, resulting in record quarterly revenue figures. The resurgence in travel has underscored the importance of airline personnel, including flight attendants, in facilitating safe and efficient operations amid evolving circumstances.
