Union Election Begins May 17 for United-Continental Flight Attendants

Click above or visit www.yourafa.org for more election information.

On May 17, AFA-CWA-represented Flight Attendants at United-Continental begin voting in a critical union representation election to determine which union will represent the 24,000 Flight Attendants at the newly merged airline.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA represents 15,000 United Flight Attendants, and the Machinists union represents 9,000 at Continental.

A lot is at stake for the Flight Attendants in the election, which runs from May 17 to June 29. AFA has 66 years of bargaining experience at United, giving the union the expertise and experience necessary to negotiate an industry-leading contract at what now is the nation's largest airline.

"Flight Attendants at the new United are ready to take control of their careers," said AFA International President Veda Shook. "United and Continental Flight Attendants are eager to be unified and our union looks forward to the incredible contributions our newest members are bound to make for our profession. Together, we're better."

The representation election is not a vote for one contract or the other, as both agreements remain in effect after the election. When bargaining on a combined contract begins, AFA-CWA will use the best provisions of each existing contract as the floor upon which to build a better contract. "AFA is uniquely positioned to advance the priorities of Flight Attendants," said Greg Davidowitch, AFA-CWA president at United.

CWA President Larry Cohen is urging CWA locals and members across the country to make a point of speaking about the advantage of AFA representation when encountering United and Continental Flight Attendants.

During the National Mediation Board (NMB)-supervised election, Flight Attendants will vote by phone or online. Balloting instructions will be mailed to eligible Flight Attendants on May 17, which triggers the start of the election.

Click here to visit United Flight Attendants' special website.