TAMPA, Fla. — United Airlines flight attendants have announced their vote to move forward with plans to go on strike.
The announcement coincided with a demonstration at 20 different airports around the nation on Wednesday, including Tampa International Airport.
The flight attendants picketing at TPA said it's all about fairness. The airline, they say, has not negotiated to where it needs to be, leading them to authorize a strike for the first time in nearly two decades.
The decision comes on the heels of stalled negotiations. For the past three years, United flight attendants have been working without a new contract.
They want better pay, back pay, better retirement, job security and compensation for the time they spend on the ground between flights.
A resounding 99.9% of those who voted said yes to a strike.
“It shows that we are together and ready to do whatever it takes to get a contract that we deserve,” Erin Dougherty, a flight attendant taking part in the demonstration, said.
Flight attendants are considered essential workers, so they can't simply walk off the job. A strike would still have to be authorized by federal authorities if they see no hope for progress through further mediation.
“We love our jobs. That's why we're fighting to stay working at our jobs,” Dougherty said. “And right now, financially we can't afford it. We're not spending enough time with our families based on our work goals. So, it's got to change.”
Still, any threatened work stoppage is a concern for passengers at TPA, which has already been plagued by recent delays and cancellations linked to weather and airline technical issues.
“Well, I travel a lot, and I fly United exclusively,” passenger Erica Page said. “So, I am concerned that, you know, there will be delays on my flights if the flight attendants strike.”
“Certainly, they are entitled to a fair wage, and if they are trying to negotiate in good faith on both sides, then we hope that they can work it out,” United passenger Jim Milam said.
If the National Mediation Board authorizes a work stoppage, it would trigger a 30-day countdown to a strike.
When that recently happened with unions at American, Southwest and Alaska Airlines, the threat of a looming shutdown helped push negotiations to a tentative agreement.
In a statement, United Airlines said it continues to work toward an industry-leading agreement for its flight attendants, and that they remain eager to reach an agreement.
United Airlines Corporate Communication Manager Russell Carlton provided this statement to 10 Tampa Bay:
"We continue to work toward an industry-leading agreement for our flight attendants, including negotiations this week and every month through November. Both sides have been actively engaged in these negotiations facilitated by the federal mediator requested by the union. We remain eager to reach an agreement. "
While the airline says there is no work stoppage or labor disruption, flight attendants say they are preparing to take action that would affect some flights — but not all.
“And we don't want to walk out. We love our jobs. We love our passengers. We never want to do anything like that,” Dougherty said. “But it gives, it puts the pressure on the company for them to understand that we're serious. And if we have to walk out on a job that we love, we will.”