Alaska Airlines flight attendants are going to get a major pay bump, including money for helping passengers board. Negotiations between Alaska Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants, the union that represents the flight attendants, began nearly two years ago.
The tentative deal announced in June granted flight attendants an immediate raise of at least 18%. On average, though, pay will increase by 32%. Perhaps the biggest change is something called “boarding pay,” which would pay flight attendants as the passengers are taking their places on a plane. That alone could add 8% to their pay per flight on average.
The AFA called this agreement “historic win,” saying Alaska Airlines is the first airline to win boarding pay in a legally binding contract. This resolves a decades-long problem within the airline industry wherein flight attendants usually do not get paid for their pre-flight work.
Apart from the pay increases, it also includes retroactive pay for the raises that were not given during the negotiation period. This was part of their core bone of contention, just like what is happening at other carriers like American Airlines.
In these bargaining relationship instances, the company has switched its position and has become more flexible. For instance, the present CEO of their company, Ben Minicucci, has recently highlighted the shift in the staffing labor market and the effect of increasing labor cost on profitability. With this in mind, the firm does seem to be genuine about its claims of wanting to achieve decent working conditions for its employees.
Also Read – Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Set For 32% Average Pay Rise
Perhaps worth noting is that back in February, flight attendants voted by a nearly unanimous majority to authorize a strike in case the negotiations proved futile. This probably contributed to the successful outcome of the talks.
While this tentative agreement represents an important step toward the finish line, it isn’t yet an agreed-upon contract. Union members will have to vote on whether to ratify the contract; that process is expected to wrap up by the end of the month.
This development at Alaska Airlines poses a good example on how future compensations for boarding duties and the pay structure of flight attendants in the airline industry will be shaped.