Represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
(AFA-CWA), Alaska Airlines flight
attendants voted 99.48 percent ¡°yes¡± with 93.47 percent participation on
strike authorization should management fail to agree to significant
improvements.
¡°Our time is now!¡± said AFA Alaska President Jeffrey
Peterson. ¡°Alaska flight attendants today backed up our fight for an
industry-leading contract with a 99.48% strike vote. And we¡¯re out on the
picket line demonstrating that we¡¯re ready to do whatever it takes to get the
contract we deserve. There¡¯s no excuse: Alaska management has the money to buy
another airline, they certainly have the money to invest in flight
attendants. We have a simple message for management: Pay us, or CHAOS!¡±
The last time Alaska Airlines flight attendants went on
strike was the infamous 1993 strike, where they took over the schedule using
AFA¡¯s trademarked strike strategy, Creating Havoc Around Our System or CHAOS.
A CHAOS strike is an intermittent strike strategy, where flight
attendants can strike any flight at any time without notice to management or
passengers. This trademarked strike strategy has the power to disrupt
operations system-wide by striking just a few flights at a time, one hub
location or the entire system. In the 1993 strike, Alaska saw dramatic
reductions in ticket bookings as passengers never knew whether Alaska flights
might take off until they had already arrived at the airport.
¡°Alaska flight attendants are fired up and ready to go,¡±
said AFA International President Sara Nelson. ¡°You can¡¯t fly without flight attendants.
If Alaska management doesn¡¯t remember what happens when you disrespect flight attendants,
we are ready to show them. It¡¯s past time for a fair deal.¡±
Now that members have authorized a strike, the union can
request a release from the National Mediation Board (NMB) leading to a 30-day
"cooling off" period and strike deadline. With CHAOS, a strike could
affect the entire system or a single flight. The union decides when, where and
how to strike without notice to management or passengers.
The contract became amendable in December 2022 and AFA filed
for federal mediation with the NMB in September 2023.
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