Bargaining Update

Federal Mediation Begins Oct. 20 for AFA-CWA Flight Attendants at United

The AFA-CWA Joint Negotiating Committee will begin mediation on Oct. 20 with United Airlines with the goal of reaching an industry-leading, comprehensive contract. Mediation is overseen by the National Mediation Board.

This mediation session also will be the first under new United CEO Oscar Munoz, who replaced Jeff Smisek. Smisek and two other United officials resigned following news of a corruption investigation into their dealings with the Port Authority of New Jersey.

The negotiations cover 24,000 Flight Attendants from United, Continental and Continental Micronesia Airlines.

AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson said "our unity is the key to equalizing pay for equal work and lifting standards for our careers. At no other time have we been better positioned to fight for an industry-leading contract, and as we set a new standard, American Flight Attendants will benefit, too, because we made sure their pay would increase once the United contract is worth more."

See more of Nelson's message here.

AFA-CWA's Master Executive Council – the directly elected local council presidents from pre-merger United, Continental and Continental Micronesia – unanimously adopted a resolution of unity and called for concrete measures of change. The resolution "calls upon the new CEO Oscar Munoz to conduct a thorough review of United management to resolve deep-seated problems in order to promote the spirit of shared purpose."

"Whether change is truly coming to United will be measured by direct evidence and concrete measures such as immediate and substantial progress at the bargaining table; changes in upper level management personnel as warranted; a repudiation of bad faith bargaining tactics; making good on commitments to provide 2015 profit sharing for CAL and CMI Flight Attendants; and a moratorium on using surpluses, base closures, furloughs and other disruptions to Flight Attendants' lives during contract negotiations," the resolution said.

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants – left to right: Chris Black, Sylvia Cavazos, Mara Hoffer, and Lindsey Tucker at San Francisco International Airport – are fighting for a fair contract that respects their contributions to profits at United Airlines.

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October 16 is Day of Solidarity in District 3

CWA members across District 3 will be mobilizing tomorrow, Oct. 16, in a "Day of Solidarity" to push AT&T to get serious about bargaining, especially on critical issues. The 28,000 AT&T workers have stayed on the job without a contract since their contracts expired on August 8 while negotiations continue. CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt said the workers are building public support for their fair contract fight.

Tomorrow, CWA members from North Carolina to Mississippi will be wearing black and standing together, at garages, call centers and public actions, for a fair contract.

CWAers display their "Blue Monday" solidarity at the Tennessee AFL-CIO Convention in Franklin, TN.

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AT&T workers in District 3 have been showing solidarity throughout the week in their workplaces.On Friday, members of Local 3201 in Georgia wore black to show their support for the AT&T bargaining committee.