Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Poised for Possible Strike Action

Another flight attendant strike looms on the horizon as the union representing Alaska Airlines has given the carrier a two-week deadline to reach a tentative contract agreement or face potential strike action.

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) announced last week that 99.48% of its members who voted in February overwhelmingly supported a strike. Despite ongoing negotiations, no deal has been reached, prompting AFA-CWA to inform its members that they are preparing for the next steps under the Railway Labor Act. This could result in a strike if management fails to present an acceptable deal.

Similar to other airline employee strikes, a potential strike by AFA-CWA would require permission from the National Mediation Board (NMB). The NMB must approve a strike following a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period. This process is the same as that currently faced by American Airlines flight attendants.

The requirement for NMB approval makes flight attendant strikes increasingly rare. American Airlines flight attendants, for example, have been seeking NMB approval to strike for nearly a year, but their requests have been repeatedly denied despite prolonged unsuccessful negotiations.

Recently, flight attendants from Frontier Airlines, also represented by AFA-CWA, have sought federal mediation with the NMB due to stalled negotiations with their airline.

No strike action can occur until the NMB makes a decision favoring strike action, and there is no set timeline for this decision. The AFA-CWA is actively lobbying for support, having recently secured backing from 178 members of the U.S. House of Representatives to pressure the NMB into initiating the 30-day cooling-off period. The union is now urging its members to campaign for similar support from their Senators.