United Flight Attendant Union Attacks Delta Over Boarding Pay

Delta announced several days ago that it would start paying flight attendants during boarding, which is surprising since it is not a standard practice in the US airline industry. The flight attendant union of United has made some strange claims.

Delta’s flight attendant boarding pay

Flight attendants in the United States haven't been paid during boarding, but they start to get paid once the aircraft door closes. The first major US airline to change this is Delta.

• Delta announced it would start paying flight attendants for the scheduled 40-50 minute boarding time, at half of the standard hourly rates
• Delta is the only major US airline where flight attendants aren’t unionized, though over the years there have been several unionization efforts
• Obviously Delta leading the way here was an attempt by management to keep flight attendants happy and encourage flight attendants not to unionize

Let me point out that before we get into what the flight attendant union has put out.

• I’m pro-union, in the sense that I think flight attendants should be allowed to unionize if they want to, without being intimidated
• I don’t necessarily think unionization is good and non-unionization is bad, or vice versa; objectively Delta flight attendants on the whole are in a better spot than flight attendants at most other major US airlines, and they also provide significantly better service

Let's get into what the flight attendant union is saying.

United flight attendant union responds to Delta

Delta flight attendants are being offered boarding pay because they haven't been able to negotiate with the flight attendant unions. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), representing United Airlines staff, has put out a memo to members about Delta's development.

Presumably some members are wondering why they are paying dues when the union isn't even able to offer what Delta is.

The memo states that all flight attendants should be paid boarding pay.

The union claims that boarding pay has been a priority for at least 20 years, but since 9/11 the union has been trying to keep that achieved during negotiations.

It doesn't seem like a strong argument in favor of unionization if you claim that we haven't been able to do anything in 20 years. Delta flight attendants are in a better position than United flight attendants.

The union paints the rest of the story.

• “Shrouded by this announcement is the fact that Delta management has increased passenger boarding time from 35 to 40 minutes and this announcement is their attempt to tamper back the angry reaction it deserves from Flight Attendants”
• “This decision is unquestionably tied to AFA’s ongoing effort in organizing Delta Flight Attendants”
• “As Delta continues to add additional services, they have failed to restore staffing to pre-pandemic levels on the aircraft”
• “This initiative seemingly is designed to divert attention from the fact that Delta will require all Flight Attendants to wear a uniform that has made them sick, an initiative AFA is fighting against as our collective work to establish standards continues”
• “In the absence of a contract, there is no commitment to lock in this pay factor for Delta Flight Attendants”
• “It’s a stark reminder that Delta management, in the same manner in which it was implemented, has the ability to unilaterally end the boarding pay, at their sole discretion”

The argument is all over the place. Where do we start?

• I’m pretty sure most Delta flight attendants don’t mind boarding time being increased by five minutes if it means they’re being paid for the entire scheduled boarding time
• The AFA is right about this being tied to attempts to unionize Delta flight attendants, though that’s about the only accurate and relevant point here
• As far as Delta’s staffing levels go, virtually all US airlines staff domestic flights at the minimums legally required, so this is a really nuanced point
• I’m not sure what uniforms have to do with boarding pay, but the AFA is really grasping at straws here
• Right, there’s no commitment that Delta management won’t backtrack, but similarly, if Delta management does, wouldn’t that eliminate the whole point of this, which is to keep flight attendants happy and prevent them from unionizing?

The whole thing gives off her vibes.

Bottom line

Flight attendants should be paid. Delta was the first major US airline to do this. The major airline unions should be thanking Delta for giving them more leverage, since Delta flight attendants aren't unionized.

In light of this development unions are having a hard time justifying their value. United's flight attendant union is attacking Delta for increasing boarding time by five minutes and for other things, like uniforms and staffing levels.

What do you think about the response from the flight attendant union to Delta?

The tip of the hat is used to view from the wing.