United Airlines’ flight attendant union is planning a strike strategy, in hopes of maximizing the impact on operational reliability (thanks to @xJonNYC for reporting this). However, it’ll be some time before they’re able to do this…
In this post:
United flight attendants need a new contract
In recent months, we’ve seen flight attendants at some major airlines ratify new contracts, giving them much needed raises. For example, we’ve seen this at American and Southwest (Delta flight attendants aren’t unionized, so receive proactive pay raises to stay competitive).
United flight attendants are a notable exception, as they’ve been the last of the major airlines when it comes to negotiating a new contract. At first that was an advantage thanks to pattern bargaining, since they saw what flight attendants at other airlines were able to negotiate, and could go from there.
However, arguably they’re not in quite as good of a situation anymore:
- Management and the union continue to be way off in terms of what they’re willing to settle for (or at least they claim to be)
- While United flight attendants have voted to authorize a strike, the process of having the right to go on strike is complicated, and requires approval from the National Mediation Board
- The National Mediation Board has adjourned for the rest of 2024, so nothing will be happening in the coming weeks
- Even the Biden administration wasn’t willing to really step in and authorize airline strikes, and I can’t imagine that situation will get more pro-labor or pro-union under the Trump administration
- Demand in the airline industry isn’t trending upward quite in the way it was a year ago, so perhaps flight attendants have a little less leverage with their negotiations
Honestly, it’s quite disappointing to see how the two sides can’t come to an agreement. United flight attendants absolutely deserve (and need) pay raises, given the extent to which the cost of living has increased in recent years. It seems pretty clear what their pay should be, based on the contracts ratified at other airlines, and it’s time for the two sides to come to an agreement.
United flight attendant union plots strike strategy
The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), which represents United’s 25,000+ flight attendants, is starting to devise a strike strategy, even though flight attendants can’t go on strike yet. Unions love acronyms, and then name of the game here seems to be “GUTS” and “CHAOS.”
The union is seeking flight attendants to volunteer to be put on the confidential “GUTS” list, which stands for “Gearing Up To Strike.” The union describes these flight attendants as “frontline troops” who will be the first called upon in the event of “CHAOS,” which stands for “Creating Havoc Around Our System.”
The idea is that if/when United flight attendants go on strike, the union doesn’t want to orchestrate a widespread strike where most flight attendants aren’t working, since members wouldn’t get paid, and that would get costly for them, and couldn’t last for a long time.
Instead, the union wants to be strategic about having as few flight attendants go on strike as possible, while maximizing the operational impacts. In other words, the union would strategically have people strike in a way that maximizes the number of canceled and delayed flights. As the union describes this:
“CHAOS is effective through its element of surprise. the GUYS list is never published because it would give management a leg up in trying to determine where we might strike first.”
Now, of course this assumes that a strike is authorized at some point. While we’ve seen endless strike authorization votes at US airlines, we still haven’t seen an actual strike among a work group in a very long time.
Keep in mind that it would be illegal for the union to coordinate some sort of a strike without permission, whereby people call in sick (or whatever) to maximize the impact on the operation.
UA FAs
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) December 14, 2024 at 10:26 AM
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Bottom line
United flight attendants aren’t in a good situation when it comes to negotiating a new contract. The union and management can’t agree on a contract, and they’re a long way off from a strike being authorized.
Nonetheless, the union is preparing for a strike by soliciting flight attendants with “GUTS” who are willing to create “CHAOS,” once a strike is authorized. The idea is that rather than going on a widespread strike and shutting the airline down, the union instead wants to be strategic by having a small number of flight attendants go on strike in a way that maximizes the number of delays and cancelations.
What do you make of the United AFA’s CHAOS strategy?
CHAOS involves having flight staff simply no-show for a small percentage of the total flights fo that day to disrupt operations. While I'm onboard with the rights to unionize, to negotiate and to conduct a membership strike within the limits of the law, CHAOS essentially makes random customers hostages who will be punished if a third party (management) does not comply with the union's wishes. It does so without prior warning to the pax, and...
CHAOS involves having flight staff simply no-show for a small percentage of the total flights fo that day to disrupt operations. While I'm onboard with the rights to unionize, to negotiate and to conduct a membership strike within the limits of the law, CHAOS essentially makes random customers hostages who will be punished if a third party (management) does not comply with the union's wishes. It does so without prior warning to the pax, and it does so without the discomfort the broad membership would feel if they went on general strike. If the union wants to strike then announce the date and have all members go on strike. The union and management will experience financial losses and one or both will revise their position at the bargaining table. Passengers will be inconvenienced, but at least will have a few days warning to make alternative plans.
UA FAs are getting the unions which the (or rather their predecessors) voted for.
Meanwhile, DL FAs are on the second or third round of pay raises post covid and have boarding pay.
the post covid period of labor cost resets for the industry and the trials that unions have had in getting new contracts reinforce why DL FAs have chosen NOT to be represented by unions and why it will take at least...
UA FAs are getting the unions which the (or rather their predecessors) voted for.
Meanwhile, DL FAs are on the second or third round of pay raises post covid and have boarding pay.
the post covid period of labor cost resets for the industry and the trials that unions have had in getting new contracts reinforce why DL FAs have chosen NOT to be represented by unions and why it will take at least a generation for unions to have even a modicum of credibility to the claims of what they supposedly offer
Oh Tim Doneth,
Is this why Delta flight attendants keep asking about switching to Southwest on the aft galley? Because according to them they have weak insurance and a non existent sick policy. Southwest is owning them right now and that’s the power of a union. Respond back to me when Delta offers everything that Southwest flight attendants have to their flight attendants. :)
Bro can’t stfu about delta. It’s exhausting.
WN FAs waited for 2 years after DL FAs got boarding pay and their FIRST post-covid pay increase.
With high inflation, no unionized FA will ever make up for what they lost while their union begged for companies to pay attention to them.
And, if you don't like hearing about DL, then substitute SkyWest. SKYW FAs ALSO got boarding pay long before any unionized FAs got it.
Boarding pay is not all encompassing Timmy. In other words, they are still not being paid from the time that they show up at the airport until debrief. So there they are not being paid for long sits and delays. Southwest has higher paying duty rigs which equals way more money vs the weak af boarding pay. That’s the reason why Southwest flight attendants didn’t vote in boarding pay actually. :)
Southwest flight attendants have...
Boarding pay is not all encompassing Timmy. In other words, they are still not being paid from the time that they show up at the airport until debrief. So there they are not being paid for long sits and delays. Southwest has higher paying duty rigs which equals way more money vs the weak af boarding pay. That’s the reason why Southwest flight attendants didn’t vote in boarding pay actually. :)
Southwest flight attendants have free insurance plans and they have the best work rules/contract in the country!
Many countries pay from sign in until sign out but yet we have the airline SMELTA that brings in the most revenue refusing to. They are the reason why other airlines including United have refused to. You can drink all the purple juice you want Timmy but you’re delusion is laughable and pathetic!
They actually trademark a method to sabotage their employer.
Are they really having your backs with a trademark?
I HUWAP (Hate Unions With A Passion) because I believe they are OCREs (Outdated Communist Relics Everywhere) and I love flying Delta because I know I won’t be stuck with SUFAs (Surly Union Flight Attendants) when I FUFIF (Fly Up Front In First).
Oh, wow, aren’t you just the acronym genius of the century? HUWAP, OCREs, SUFAs, FUFIF—someone get Merriam-Webster on the phone, we’ve got a new wordsmith in town! But let me tell you, hating unions with a passion while simultaneously loving first-class luxury is giving “I like my champagne, but not the people who pour it” vibes. Bold choice, darling.
Sure, Delta’s got your non-unionized dream team, but let’s not pretend unions haven’t, you know, existed...
Oh, wow, aren’t you just the acronym genius of the century? HUWAP, OCREs, SUFAs, FUFIF—someone get Merriam-Webster on the phone, we’ve got a new wordsmith in town! But let me tell you, hating unions with a passion while simultaneously loving first-class luxury is giving “I like my champagne, but not the people who pour it” vibes. Bold choice, darling.
Sure, Delta’s got your non-unionized dream team, but let’s not pretend unions haven’t, you know, existed forever to fight for little things like livable wages and humane schedules. I mean, what’s next? A “No Labor Rights Allowed” club?
And calling unionized FAs “surly”? Sweetheart, let’s be real—if they’re dealing with entitled acronyms-on-legs in coach or first, their attitude might just be the result of your energy. Bless your heart, though. Enjoy your champagne and acronym party while the rest of us live in the real world. Cheers!
of course they're organizing on bluecry.
@Matt H doesn't seem to understand how screenshots work
Some small corrections United has nearly 28,000 flight attendants not 25,000 flight attendants.
Your article also should be edited to include the list of concessions that United management has been demanding. These include cutting insurance PPO plans, cutting several insurance plans actually, shortening international and domestic rest of layovers, abillity to reassign crew while on a layover, cutting reserve call out times from 3 hours to 2 (in cities like LAX, New York, Washington DC...
Some small corrections United has nearly 28,000 flight attendants not 25,000 flight attendants.
Your article also should be edited to include the list of concessions that United management has been demanding. These include cutting insurance PPO plans, cutting several insurance plans actually, shortening international and domestic rest of layovers, abillity to reassign crew while on a layover, cutting reserve call out times from 3 hours to 2 (in cities like LAX, New York, Washington DC this would be in fact insane) cutting PTO, and trying to force PBS when the flight attendants were sent a survey saying overwhelmingly they did not want it.
This is with United claiming they are making record profits in 2024. Many of the Flight attendants won’t be waiting on a strike they have been talking about ways to get back at the company if no contract is reached by summer 2025.
What is unfortunate is many of the customers will be the ones to be put in that uncomfortable situation during a peak travel season.That is what happens when they are now one of the lowest paying airlines currently with bases like SFO, BOS, LAX, New York, HNL, Washington DC.If United wants to ruin NPS scores and it’s reputation that is entirely their choice
This particular strike strategy sounds like it was cooked up by a teenage girl.
Why a girl, specifically?
@TravelinPenis
So you just confirmed that you wouldn't have been mad if he said a boy instead.
Typical wife-losing male feminist behavior.
@Mason...wow, I don't track Willy, so maybe I'm missing history of some sort...but you're clearly an idiotic jerk
@LAXLonghorn
And so is he.
You clearly saw what he did but pretends like you didn't, because you agree with him.
Besides I don't think there's a better indicator of me being right than getting called an "idiot" by brainwashed hypocrite OMAAT audience.
So you're welcomed.
@Mason surely you can find a better way to spend your Sunday afternoon than dragging whatever deep-seated culture war grievances torment you into the comments section of a points and miles blog
@LAXLonghorn Mason loves to make pointless comments to Willy, although in my experience Willy’s posts are typically accurate, respectful, and prompt further discussion. Mason is merely a troll.
The AFA has used CHAOS before without having been released from mediation. Of course they don’t officially endorse it but it does happen.