Flight Attendants Demonstrate at Regional Airline Association Meeting to Call Attention to Cruel Two-Tiered Employment in Aviation

Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, demonstrated outside of the Regional Airline Association (RAA) Conference to call out “regional” business model that benefits executives and shareholders at Delta, United, American and Alaska by keeping pay and benefits for Flight Attendants and other workers in poverty levels.

Regional airline management facilitates the cruel model perpetuated by major airlines as they pit the regionals against each other to drive the lowest fees for flights operated, on the same routes and with the same passengers buying tickets through the major airlines. Passengers aren’t even aware they are flying with a different airline that pays almost half as poor as the major airline and provides far less in benefits. Regional Flight Attendants work flights branded as Delta, United, American, and Alaska but are paid on average 45% less than workers directly employed by those airlines.

“Flight Attendants at regional airlines across the industry fly the same routes and provide the same service as mainline Flight Attendants. It’s time they get paid like it,” said Sara Nelson, international president of AFA-CWA representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines. “This two tiered system in aviation looks a lot like contract work in other industries. Workers across the country can identify with this fight to end the disparity of pay and respect for workers doing the same job. The model is cruel, immoral, and a favorite play of a union buster hoping to promote resentment between workers rather than focusing anger and responsibility on the real corporate decision makers.”

While the Flight Attendants work for regional airlines, airline management at Delta, United, American, and Alaska ultimately control pay and working conditions at regional carriers.

Just last week, Flight Attendants at American’s wholly-owned regional PSA Airlines voted 99% to authorize a strike after months of feet-dragging and no compensation proposals from PSA management. Negotiations have already dragged on for 18 months. Earlier this year, Flight Attendants at American Eagle regional carrier Air Wisconsin overwhelmingly voted by 99% to authorize a strike. Their negotiations are almost 24 months past the contract amendable date.

AFA Regional Flight Attendants are calling on Delta, American, United, Alaska to end these tiers in aviation. The work is the same. Aviation’s First Responders deserve to be able to afford to live.