As travelers prepare for a busy Labor Day weekend, flight attendants at O’Hare Airport announced Wednesday morning they are preparing to strike.
Speaking to more than 100 flight attendants representing more than 29,000 flight attendants who work for Chicago-based United Airlines, Ken Diaz of the Union of Flight Attendants said more than 91 percent had taken a strike authorization vote, with more than 99 percent of them voting “yes.”
“This is long overdue,” Diaz said, noting that the group’s members have not received a pay increase in more than three years.
Amanda Tomaszewski is one of those flight attendants.
She said she worked for United Airlines for about eight years, but she and her husband still couldn’t afford to buy a house.
“I haven’t had a raise in about three years, so unfortunately I don’t have the chance to save up for it,” she said.
United Airlines flight attendants have voted to authorize a strike, but that doesn’t mean it will happen immediately.
Sarah Nelson, international president of AFA/CWA, said travelers and airline executives should take notice.
“If we don’t get serious about it at the negotiating table, there will be chaos,” she said.
If a strike is called, AFA does not expect its members to strike en masse. Instead, the group plans to call a “CHAOS” strike aimed at “creating chaos in our system,” which would be a series of selective strikes, much like the one carried out by the United Auto Workers last year.
“We continue to work toward an industry-leading agreement for our flight attendants, including through negotiations this week and monthly through November,” United said in a statement Wednesday.
A federal mediator was called.
It’s been more than 20 years since flight attendants went on strike at O’Hare Airport, but they want passengers to know they’re willing to go on strike to get what they want from the airlines.
“At a time when airlines are seeing record revenue and profits, all they’re asking for is concessions from flight attendants,” said AFA’s Scott Pejas. “Flight attendants are fed up.”
