Vermont Business Magazine In solidarity with the 28,000 flight attendants who have been working for nearly four years without a much-needed pay raise or quality-of-life improvements, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and 24 Democratic senators today called on United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby to return to the bargaining table and deliver a fair contract.
While thousands of flight attendants risked their lives and safety to work through the pandemic, facing heightened aggression and dangerous behavior on planes, United Airlines raked in $1.4 billion in profits over the past four years and recently boasted about its “best revenue day ever” in the history of the airline. In that same period, CEO Kirby received over $38 million in compensation, including a 90 percent raise just last year.
“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,” wrote the senators. “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…Flight Attendants have waited long enough for a contract that reflects their essential work.” The senators urged Kirby to, “personally engage in negotiations and help bring them to conclusion without any further delay.”
Joining Sanders, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, on the letter are Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chair of the Commerce Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), as well as Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Today, thousands of flight attendants took to the picket line in a system-wide “day of action” calling for United management to remove the concessionary proposals, stop the delays, and deliver the fair contract United flight attendants have earned.
“Flight Attendants save lives every day and serve as the face of United Airlines in ever increasingly difficult conditions,” said Sara Nelson, President of the AFA-CWA which represents 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines including United. “But management is proposing more than 50 concessions in negotiations to stall a contract long overdue. The airline is boasting record profits, handing out cash to Wall Street and ballooning executive pay while failing for more than three years to negotiate a fair contract for Flight Attendants. No other group across the industry has taken concessions. It’s a delay tactic and utter disrespect for the frontline workers of the airline. We need a contract now. Cheers to Chairman Sanders for leading this letter that includes Leader Schumer, Chair Cantwell and 22 of their colleagues calling on United CEO Scott Kirby to get serious and get it done.”
Read the full letter, here.