Alaska Airlines flight attendants ratify new contract with industry-leading pay

Flight attendants at Alaska Airlines have overwhelmingly ratified a new contract, securing significant pay raises and improved working conditions, as reported by Paddle Your Own Kanoo. In a decisive vote, 95 percent of participating flight attendants approved the deal, a stark contrast to the previous contract proposal that was rejected last year.

The new agreement, negotiated by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), includes industry-leading boarding pay, a nearly 10 percent increase in overall compensation, and retroactive pay for the two years the contract was amendable. Flight attendants will also receive an 18 percent immediate hourly pay raise, followed by 3 percent annual increases over the next two years.

The contract ratification follows a turbulent period of negotiations. In July 2024, flight attendants rejected a deal union leaders touted as a "record contract." This revised agreement comes with a clear warning: federal mediation is likely the next step in negotiations, leaving crew members stuck with the existing contract for years.

The timing of the deal is crucial, as Alaskan prepares to negotiate a joint collective bargaining agreement with flight attendants at Hawaiian Airlines following the two carriers’ planned merger. Those negotiations, set to begin in March, could take years to finalize, making this contract an important bridge for Alaska’s flight attendants.

With this ratification, United Airlines remains the only major US carrier where flight attendants are still in protracted contract negotiations (Delta's flight attendants aren't unionized). The airline's crew members have been pushing for better pay, particularly for boarding time, but progress remains slow.

AFA-CWA President Jeffrey Peterson called the new contract a "significant" win for Alaska flight attendants, while international union president Sara Nelson emphasized its broader impact on the airline industry. "This industry-leading contract not only provides Alaska flight attendants with what they’ve earned, but it reinforces the contract standards for all flight attendants across the industry," Nelson said.