Horizon Air Flight Attendants Vote to Authorize Potential Strike
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA announced this week that Horizon Air flight attendants have voted by an overwhelming 99. 8% to authorize a strike. This decision comes after months of frustrating contract negotiations with the airline’s management.
According to the union, the vote was a response to the slow pace of bargaining and the inadequate economic proposals put forth by Horizon management. The 650 flight attendants represented by AFA-CWA are seeking better pay, benefits, and work rules, including increased compensation for time spent boarding aircraft.
However, this vote does not necessarily mean that a strike will immediately take place. It simply allows the union to take action if and when the National Mediation Board declares negotiations to be at a standstill. In this scenario, both parties would enter a 30-day “cooling off” period before any strike could occur.
The flight attendants initially filed for federal mediation in January of this year. In a statement, Lisa Davis Warren, president of the Horizon chapter of AFA-CWA, emphasized that the high percentage of the strike authorization vote demonstrates the determination of the flight attendants to secure the contract they deserve. She also highlighted their commitment to the airline and the communities it serves.
If a strike were to occur, AFA-CWA has stated that it would use a rolling strategy that could impact a single flight, multiple flights, or the entire Horizon Air network. This means that both management and passengers would not be notified ahead of time.
In response to the strike authorization vote, Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Horizon Air, told The Seattle Times that this is a common step in contract negotiations and that it will not immediately affect operations. The company also expressed confidence in reaching an agreement with AFA-CWA.
In addition to Horizon Air, Alaska Air Group also owns Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. It remains to be seen how this potential strike could impact the operations of these other airlines within the company. For now, the Horizon Air flight attendants are hopeful that their vote will push management to come to the table with a fair and satisfactory contract offer.