Frontier Airlines Flight Attendants to Vote on Strike Authorization

Frontier Airlines Flight Attendants to Vote on Strike Authorization Amid Business Model Dispute

DENVER (July 30, 2024) – Flight Attendants at Frontier Airlines, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), are preparing for a strike authorization vote due to management's refusal to negotiate over changes stemming from the airline’s new business model. While Frontier is legally required to discuss the impact of these changes separately from regular contract negotiations, the company has declined to do so, even avoiding mediation through the National Mediation Board.

Jennifer Sala, AFA Frontier President, expressed concerns over the new model's effects, stating, “Frontier management’s ‘out and back’ business model has resulted in a massive hit to our compensation and time away from our homes. Frontier Flight Attendants are experiencing harm right now. There’s no time to wait to address the impact of management’s decisions on our lives.”

Ballots for the strike vote will be distributed to approximately 4,000 Flight Attendants, with voting taking place from August 20, 2024, to September 18, 2024.

Flight Attendants report significant changes to their pay and work schedules. A comparison of workdays between February and March revealed an 11% decrease in paid flight hours, necessitating five additional trips to the airport. By April, the reduction in paid hours increased to 17%, with eight more trips required. This shift resulted in nearly 20% less pay for the same number of days worked, coupled with a 40% increase in required trips to the airport over two months.

AFA International President Sara Nelson emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, “This strike vote will show just how serious this issue is and the action Flight Attendants are willing to take to get it fixed. The change in time on the job and compensation is staggering. We will not pay for this business model change. The longer this goes on, the more Frontier will have to pay to make it right.”

The union’s strike strategy, known as CHAOS™ (Create Havoc Around Our System), could disrupt the entire airline system or a single flight without prior notice to management or passengers. Although no strike date has been set, the first step involves member authorization to empower the union to set a strike deadline if necessary.

In May, the Flight Attendant Union filed for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board following a formal notice to management on April 3, 2024. The union argued that the “turn” plan constitutes a dispute under the Railway Labor Act, separate from regular contract negotiations. The new business model has significantly affected the working conditions of over 4,000 Flight Attendants beyond the scope of the current collective bargaining agreement.

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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 78 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits, and working conditions. 55,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.