SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Alaska Airlines flight attendants gathered outside San Diego International Airport on Tuesday, demanding a fair contract following the company's recent decision to purchase Hawaiian Airlines.
The demonstration took place at 11 a.m., with flight attendants represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA expressing their concerns. According to a press release from AFA-CWA, flight attendants rallied at eight major airports nationwide to emphasize their role in the airline's success.
The union also announced a strike vote that could potentially impact the entire system during the busy holiday travel season. The union will determine the time and and location of a strike without providing notice to management or passengers, according to the release.
AFA-CWA said Alaska Airlines rejected salary increase proposals several months ago, while announcing the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in a $1.9 billion deal.
“Management’s unwillingness to present adequate proposals brought us to this strike vote announcement," said Jeffrey Peterson, the president of the Alaska chapter of AFA-CWA. "If you want to play like a big airline, you need to pay like one."
In a response to the demonstrations, Alaska Airlines said in a press release that "any employee participating in these activities is not scheduled to work and they are not on strike. We respect their protected right to engage in these activities and do not expect any disruption to our operation or service as a result."
Strike vote ballots are scheduled to be distributed to flight attendants in 2024, with voting open from Jan. 8 to Feb. 13.
