Flight Attendants at Frontier Airlines have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike.
The FAs, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) union, voted 99.6% to authorize a strike with 92.7% participating. The results come as the union says that management ‘refuses to negotiate’ over the impact of the carrier’s business model change.
“Frontier Flight Attendants are struggling to earn a living because of management’s new ‘out-and-back’ model. The impact of this change has turned our lives and our paychecks upside down,” said Jennifer Sala, AFA Frontier President. “The harm is real and happening right now. We’re ready to do whatever it takes to bring management to the table.”
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The 99.6% authorisation by the members empowers the union to set a strike deadline, if necessary, although there is no strike date set at this time.
Strike vote ballots were sent to the 4,000 Flight Attendants, with the vote opening on August 20, 2024 and closing on September 18, 2024.
The Flight Attendant Union filed for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB) in May after issuing a formal notice to management on April 3, 2024, that its “turn” plan constitutes a dispute under the Railway Labour Act, separate from regular contract negotiations. This impact of the new business model has a significant negative effect on the working lives of the over 4,000 Flight Attendants in a way not contemplated under the negotiated collective bargaining agreement.