Flight attendants at Alaska Airlines have rejected a new tentative agreement that had promised an average pay rise of 32%, as well as boarding pay, with 68% of crew members who took part in the ballot voting down the proposed contract.
The ballot results were released by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), which represents crew members at the Seattle-based carrier, shortly after voting closed on Wednesday afternoon.
Following the end of the ballot, the union revealed that 68% of participating crew members had voted against the tentative agreement on a turnout of over 92% of flight attendants eligible to take part in the poll.
In a statement, the local AFA council responsible for Alaska Airlines flight attendants said it would “fight to address membership concerns as expeditiously as possible” and would seek new negotiations with Alaska Airlines through the National Mediation Board.
The rejected contract had promised flight attendants an average 32% increase on their pay scale, along with boarding pay, which would range from just 4.6% to 33%.
The proposed pay rises included an immediate 18% increase, followed by a 3% increase on August 15, 2025, and a further 3% raise a year later.
To cover the time that the two sides have been at the bargaining table, Alaska Airlines had also agreed to pay flight attendants a retroactive bonus for the past 21 months which is based on the same formula used by Southwest Airlines.
In a short statement, the union told its members that it would now seek feedback from flight attendants to pin down the exact reasons why the agreement was rejected before presenting any revised proposals to the airline.
The ballot result at Alaska Airlines came just a day after voting opened for flight attendants at American Airlines on a contentious tentative agreement that was reached after years of negotiations last month.
It’s too early to tell how voting may go at American Airlines, but the union representing crew members at the Fort Worth carrier has been busy trying to address concerns raised by flight attendants and reassure them that the proposed agreement is the best that could be negotiated.
Late last year, flight attendants at Southwest Airlines resoundingly rejected a new tentative agreement before their union was able to negotiate an ‘industry-leading’ contract just several months later.
Flight attendants at Alaska have previously voted in favor of authorizing strike action if a deal cannot be bargained with the airline, although a walkout would have to first be approved by the National Mediation Board which has proven to be very resistant to such requests.
