This summer’s airline turbulence calmed down somewhat; or at least, the topic isn’t making as many headlines going into fall, but holiday travel could get messy. Unions remain keen to take advantage of airline woes while pushing pay proposals at the bargaining table, and Spirit Airlines is currently feeling that pain. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA shot down the airline’s offer of 21% raises for beginning flight attendants (and 5% increases for those higher paid workers who already hold a few years under their belts at Spirit).
At Delta Air Lines, pressure from a coalition of unions (representing pilots, flight attendants, and more workers) want the company’s stock buybacks to go on hold until staffing problems and resulting flight cancellations ease up. The issue appears to offer no easy solution, given continued struggles from the disastrous combination of worker shortages and increased demand for leisure and business travel.
