United Flight Attendants Snub New Pay Plan
No crystal ball needed to foretell this train wreck—sorry, aircraft disaster—in progress. Buckle up, because things are bound to get bumpy…
71% of United Flight Attendants Say “No Thanks” to New Contract
Over the last couple of years, flight attendants at the big-league airlines across the US have been cashing in on shiny new contracts. Given that they’re battling skyrocketing living costs with deals dated back to the Dark Ages (okay, pre-pandemic times), that’s not surprising.
United, however, remains the odd one out. Their 28,000 flight attendants, all cozy under the protective wing of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), finally glimpsed a new deal in May 2025.
The union’s leadership put on their best suit, shaking hands on what they hailed as a “historic agreement,” bursting at its metaphorical seams with pay raises and better living standards. Yet, with voting wrapped up, it seems like someone crashed the party—the members themselves.
There’s a fresh surge of dissent: United’s flight attendants have nixed this contract. And we’re not talking by a whisker. A staggering 92% of eligible members showed up at the polling station, with 71% of them slamming the “no” button in unison. That’s a pretty striking “Thanks, but no thanks.”
This dumped contract had promised retroactive pay, an average 27% boost in salaries right from the moment the ink dried, plus more raises down the line. Yet here we are—back at the drawing board, wondering what just happened.
Ken Diaz, the grand poobah of the union’s United faction, had this to say:
“United Flight Attendants have spoken—a loud and unequivocal ‘uh-uh’ directed at United Airlines management. A tentative agreement just wasn’t cutting it, considering the blood, sweat and extra shifts poured in to lift this airline to the heights it currently soars. Democracy, folks. It’s alive and well.”
“Things have gotta change pronto. We’re gearing up with our list of must-haves, to get a deal that our Attendants will be proud to stand behind. No matter the vote, onward we march, with 28,000 determined Flight Attendants ready to rumble.”
This Isn’t Looking Peachy for United’s Management
Honestly, I’m floored by the decisive rejection. A close call wouldn’t have been shocking, but this landslide? Jaw-dropper. So now we find ourselves at square one, with neither side poised for a quick and easy resolution:
- This spells bad news bears for United’s management—morale’s taking a nosedive, cost calculators are having meltdowns, and focus is flitting from one crisis to another.
- This bodes poorly for United’s flight attendants too, leaving them twiddling thumbs while overdue pay raises hang in the balance.
What complicates matters? This ditchable deal wasn’t some bargain-bin offer; rather, it was aligned with industry bests, already inked by rival airlines. Talk big about “leading contracts” all you want, but the airline world’s more about copycat strategies.
And what’s next on the horizon? Imagine convincing United’s top brass to dig deeper into their pockets for a fancier deal. Meanwhile, where do flight attendants find their bargaining muscle during a Trump spell? I suspect strike permissions are as likely as meeting Santa down at Val Seny ski resort.
The Bottom Line
By a landslide, United’s flight attendants have waved goodbye to the proposed contract. The rejected plan had ushered forth praise-worthy pay hikes, readjusting their earnings to compete with industry peers. But clearly, it’s still not hitting that “happily ever after” note.
Fasten those seatbelts, because this is going to take some real maneuvering to sort out. And if you’re thinking this chaotic drama might actually throw a wrench into their daily operations, you wouldn’t be alone in that suspicion…
Your take on United flight attendants giving this contract the cold shoulder?