Why do United Flight Attendants still not have a deal?

Background

On Tuesday, United Airlines’ celebration of its new premium cabin offering took an unexpected turn when several of the carrier’s flight attendants staged a protest. Flight attendants rushed the stage at the New York City event to protest their lack of a new contract. It has been five years since they last received a raise. Their contract became amendable four years ago.

In a video shared on social media, around a dozen flight attendants could be heard chanting, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” while brandishing signs that read “World-class airline, world-class contract” and “Contract now!”

A video captured the protest in real time; United has since suspended flight attendants who picketed at the event.

Today, United Airlines announced that the flight attendants concerned have been ‘removed from service’ pending an internal investigation - a serious escalation in a long-standing and ongoing dispute between United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), which represents tens of thousands of flight attendants. 

The decision to take disciplinary action against the flight attendants sets up a major union showdown during a crucial time for both parties. Union negotiators have been meeting with United Airlines for three weeks of intensive, back-to-back bargaining in Chicago to secure a tentative agreement. With emotions running high and negotiations at a critical point, this move risks derailing talks and deepening divisions.

Ken Diaz, the United AFA President, commenting on the disruption, said, “United has the money to invest in an industry-leading Flight Attendant contract with ‘premium’ compensation, work rules, and cabin interiors.” 

The corporate event was to celebrate the launch of United's new premium cabin offering.

The way airline contracts work is that they don’t formally expire—they become “amendable,” meaning the current terms remain in effect indefinitely until a new deal is signed. This has left United flight attendants with stagnant wages amid rising inflation. Meanwhile, at non-unionised Delta Air Lines, flight attendants have seen four pay increases since 2022, a 25% raise, with another 4% bump set for June 2025. Delta has also awarded its employees $1.4 billion in profit sharing this year, equivalent to 10.4% of eligible pay. In comparison, United offered its flight attendants just 5.3% - despite both airlines posting nearly identical revenue of $57 billion.

This widening gap is central to the frustrations of United flight attendants. Delta’s consistent raises and bonuses have outpaced United’s stagnant wages, highlighting the disparity between union and non-union outcomes. Despite having no collective bargaining agreement, Delta flight attendants are now the highest-paid in the industry.

United Airlines flight attendants have gone without a deal since their contract became amenable back in 2021.

Key asks from AFA-CWA.

Here’s what they asked for:

• Lifting the industry benchmark: United’s flight attendants are asking for 3%–4% more than what American Airlines flight attendants won late last year. The larger percentage increases are skewed toward more senior crew, who already earn more. They’re also demanding larger future-year raises, with 4% annual increases, exceeding the 2.75%–3.5% raises negotiated by American.

• Annual raises without a contract expiration freeze: United flight attendants have asked raises year after year, even if a new contract hasn't been finalised, breaking away from the industry standard and ending the freeze that traditionally kicks in after the amendable date. American flight attendants had no raises between 2019 and 2024.

• Ground pay for all time on duty: In an industry first, AFA-CWA is demanding compensation for every second flight attendants are on the ground, including briefings, check-ins, and delays. While Delta, American, and Southwest now offer boarding pay (Delta pays 50% during boarding). Critics have claimed this is unrealistic and internally driven, as it would disproportionately benefit junior flight attendants who work multiple short legs per day.

• Free healthcare benefits regardless of flying hours: FA-CWA also wants to retain a clause that lets flight attendants keep health coverage even if they fly zero hours—a benefit used mostly by senior flight attendants, who can remain on the books for free coverage.

• Other demands include more schedule flexibility, job security, improved retirement benefits, and retroactive pay dating back to the contract’s amendable date.

Data shows that Delta flight attendants will be making $58,500 more by 2032 compared to United flight attendants solely due to boarding pay compensation.

Weeks away from a deal? 

We’ve heard for months that AFA-CWA is just “weeks away” from a deal, but signs now point to urgency, not confidence.

As the talks reach their crescendo, the recent protests and Delta’s constantly rising compensation cast a long shadow. United flight attendants need a deal quickly -  if talks collapse or stall, the union’s leverage could deteriorate, especially under a less union-friendly Trump administration. 

The old negotiators for United’s flight attendants had slowed down the process, allowing American Airlines to have the first crack at negotiations and even lending their chief negotiator to American’s contract talks.

What they didn’t count on was the delay costing them leverage. President Biden was the most pro-union President in recent times, and he didn’t even sign off on an airline strike. (Presidents appoint a majority to the National Mediation Board, which authorises airline strikes and has the authority to pause them.) An airline strike is far less likely in this administration. 

Recently, a leaked memo from the AFA-CWA advised members not to reject an upcoming contract. The AFA-CWA negotiations update argues that the phrase “always vote ‘no’ on the first TA (Tentative Agreement)” is “not very good advice” and that each agreement should be judged on its own merits. The memo emphasises that “this is not the first offer,” claiming that the negotiations team has “already rejected hundreds of company proposals” and “squeezed every penny out of the company.” 

It goes on to explain that if the tentative agreement is voted down, the process of gathering feedback, building new proposals, and securing federal mediation dates can take a significant amount of time—“it’s safe to plan on six months to get back to the table” and that “the assumption a new deal is “around the corner… is simply not true.”

While this may be a pragmatic warning, it’s not exactly the rallying cry many members expected. Is this shrewd advice—or pre-emptive damage control? Either way, it’s a signal that the final agreement may fall short of expectations.