More than 100,000 flight attendants in the United States plan to strike Tuesday across 30 airports today as part of the Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action.
Strikers are set to attend organized protests in major U.S. cities as new union contract negotiations are underway, The Guardian reported.
‘It’s going to be historic’: US flight attendants picket at major airports https://t.co/Sznpv14EgH
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) February 13, 2024
Flight attendants from United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Air Wisconsin, American Airlines, Omni and Frontier — who make up two-thirds of all flight attendants in the U.S. — are affected by the negotiations, according to the outlet. Three large labor unions will participate in picketing across locations including New York City, Orlando, Miami, San Francisco, Charlotte, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
“Legacy sexism that traditionally devalued our jobs must be stamped out and replaced with the true value of our work,” a statement for the event read. “Our time on the job must be compensated. We need retirement security. We need flexibility and control of our lives.”
Nearly every flight attendant from three large airlines voted in favor of the strike. More than 26,000 flight attendants at American Airlines voted in support of the strike, with 99.47 percent in favor in Aug. 2023, the outlet reported, with similarly high margins backing the strike at Air Wisconsin and Southwest Airlines in January. (REPORT: Estate Of Woman Whose Drunk Husband Drove Over Her Sues Airline For Allegedly ‘Over Serving’ Alcohol)
Doris Millard, who has been a flight attendant for 43 years, complained that she “can’t live off” her current salary, while Melissa Osbourne, a 23-year veteran, said the protests were a result of wage cuts that have occurred at airlines since the 9/11 terror attacks, according to the outlet.
“Look at all of us, all fighting for contracts, all having the same sort of obstacles to overcome with our negotiations, dealing with the same company responses,” Osborne said, The Guardian reported. “It’s going to be historic. It’s so impactful to tell companies we see what you’re doing and we’re going to stand together in solidarity. I’ve been in the industry for 23 years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”