HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Dozens of United Airlines flight attendants demonstrated outside Honolulu airport on Wednesday following a historic strike vote.
After almost three years of collective bargaining, 99.9% of union members voted in favor of a strike.
The flight attendants are demanding pay increases, better pensions, job security and compensation for the time they spend on the ground between flights.
“When I decided to become a flight attendant, I knew I would have to spend a lot of my savings on it. I even had to ask my family, like my parents, ‘Hey, before I take this step, could you support me, not only financially but also as a family?'” said Genelle Jucutan-Puga, a flight attendant at United Airlines.
United said in a statement that the company continues to work toward an industry-leading agreement and that negotiations are scheduled for this week and each month through November.
The company said there would be no walkout or work stoppage because federal law requires a strike to take place after a lengthy process, including dismissal from arbitration.
“Flight attendants have the most interaction with our customers of any employee group. We have a big part in the success that United is currently experiencing and we only want our fair share of that success,” said Kevin Batey, chairman of the AFA Community Council.
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