United Airlines Memorial Day 2024

25 US Senators have signed a note to United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby calling on him personally and United to quickly reach a deal with flight attendants, who have not seen a raise since 2021.

US Senators Want United Airlines CEO To “Personally Engage” In Flight Attendant Contract Negotiations

As contract negotiations remain stalled and a new administration less sympathetic to labor will arrive next month, 25 Democrat Senators penned a note to Kirby on US Senate stationery. It reads:

Dear Mr. Kirby:

We write to express our full support for the 28,000 Flight Attendants at United Airlines and urge you to return to the bargaining table to deliver a fair contract. Since the Flight Attendants’ collective bargaining agreement became amendable in 2021, we understand there has been little progress at the bargaining table. We encourage you to negotiate urgently to reach an agreement that recognizes these workers vital contributions to United Airlines.

Flight Attendants worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic amid not only a public health crisis, but also a surge in conflict and aggression on planes. Flight Attendants risked their own health and safety day after day and do the difficult, essential work that allowed United Airlines to thrive.

While United Flight Attendants have been working for nearly four years without a raise or any improvements to their contract, the airline has yielded billions in profits. As CEO, you have experienced a 90 percent increase in your compensation during this time. In October, United Airlines announced a $1.5 billion stock buyback plan, even as Flight Attendants struggled to meet their basic needs and keep up with the cost of living.

New collective bargaining agreements at United and across the airline industry have begun to reflect significant gains for workers after two decades of austerity and consolidation. We hope you agree that Flight Attendants have waited long enough for a contract that reflects their essential work. We urge you to personally engage in negotiations and help bring them to conclusion without any further delay.

We will be closely following progress at the bargaining table and are eager to see a fair agreement reached soon.

We look forward to your response.

The note mentions “little progress” that has been made at the bargaining table, which is a reflection of the union narrative rather than United’s, which has internally told flight attendants that progress is being made. It merits mentioning that the AFA-CWA union that represents 28,000 United flight attendants lent its chief negotiators to American Airlines, hoping that AA flight attendants would secure a lucrative deal (they did) so that United flight attendants could secure an even more lucrative one.

While not a horrible strategy at the time, that may have been a strategic blunder as the clock runs out on the Biden administration and a more pro-labor National Mediation Board.

The note mentions that flight attendants risked their safety during the pandemic, but they were also recipients of public welfare via the Payroll Support Program, which poured $63 billion into the airline industry so that flight attendants could keep their job during a period of highly depressed airline demand. Were it not for US taxpayers subsidizing them, many might have permanently lost thier jobs.

Kirby is scolded for his 90% increase in compensation while United has raked in “billions” in profit and for $1.5 billion in stock buybacks that were announced earlier this year. He’s also encouraged to “personally engage” in negotiations “to help bring them to conclusion without any further delay.”

Senators warn they “will be closely following progress at the bargaining table.”

What The Senators Get Right And Wrong

People who read this blog regularly assume I’m anti-labor but I am not…I just think the AFA often does not have the best interest of flight attendants in mind by the way it has conducted its negotiations, though I’ll stop short of attributing malfeasance to what may just be incompetence. I also think the “equal pay for equal work” mantra should apply here as well…junior flight attendants are underpaid for their work while senior flight attendants can enjoy a very comfortable life in a way that flight attendants across Europe look at in awe (I know, I’ve talked to several of them…).

I’m not inherently against stock buybacks, but think the announcement was tone-deaf when a deal with flight attendants had not yet been reached. I also think, in general, CEO pay is absolutely absurd and not at all a reflection of “market necessities.” Kirby is such an avgeek I bet he would do the work for $500,000/year instead of $18.6 million he made in 2023. That should be addressed by stockholder pushback, not government regulation.

The reality that flight attendants are easily replaceable (say compared to pilots or engineers) always means that pay will lag, but that’s almost moot here since flight attendants from other major airlines have secured raises so it is matter of when, not if for United flight attendants. Even so, some of the demands like perpetual 4% raises are insulting and unreasonable (and would directly contribute to economy-wide inflation)…and even the idea of backpay strikes me as an unreasonable ask (though of course, it is coming because like the seniority system, that’s just the way the system is built).

Senators are right, however, to urge Kirby to get personally involved. Kirby is a hands-on leader, sometimes called a micromanager. He should get involved because I think his presence could speed things along, both in making concessions but also shutting down the unreasonable asks from across the table. Kirby may be CEO, but the decision-making power for a new contract does not solely rest with him. Even so, I think he would be a great tool in bringing this deal to competition.

CONCLUSION

US Senators are urging Kirby to get personally involved in flight attendant contract negotiations and scolding him for taking a huge raise and announcing stock buybacks while flight attendants are stuck at 2021 wage levels. There are some reasonable points and some grandstanding in this letter, as you would expect from any politician.

I’ve included a photocopy of the original letter and signatures below:

a letter to the united states senate a document with signatures on it a document with signatures on it

top image: @scottkirby / Instagram

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