United flight attendants ratify 31% raises

United Airlines flight attendants voted on May 12 to ratify a new five-year labor contract that raises pay by an average 31% and adds boarding pay, according to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. The union said 82% of voting members backed the agreement, with 88.85% of eligible members participating in the vote. The deal covers nearly 30,000 flight attendants and includes about $741 million in retroactive pay. The ratification gives United a new contract with its cabin crews ahead of the summer travel season, after flight attendants went nearly six years without raises. ### How big is the pay increase, and when does it start? AFA-CWA said the contract provides a 31% average wage increase this summer, plus boarding pay worth another 7% to 8% in compensation on average. The union said the package also includes higher per diem and 401(k) contributions, pay for long sits between flights, and improved premiums for some positions. (afacwa.org) March 26 was the date United and the union announced the tentative agreement that later went to members for a vote. United said then that the deal included immediate raises upon ratification and top wage rates that would reach $100 per hour by the end of the agreement. A union bargaining update said improved pay scales and boarding pay would take effect on May 31 with the June bid period if members approved the pact. (afacwa.org) ### Why was boarding pay such a central issue? Boarding pay compensates flight attendants for time spent working before an aircraft pushes back from the gate. The Associated Press reported that the provision had been a long-sought change for United crews, who had not received pay increases in six years. (united.mediaroom.com) Ken Diaz, president of the union’s United chapter, said the contract would “immediately change the lives” of flight attendants, particularly newer hires brought on since the pandemic. United, in its March statement, described the tentative deal as providing industry-leading wages, better scheduling and other improvements if ratified. ### How does this compare with the earlier failed deal? (apnews.com) United flight attendants rejected an earlier tentative agreement in 2025 before negotiators returned to the table. CNBC reported that the new accord made United the last of the major U.S. carriers with unionized flight crews to reach a post-pandemic deal. May 23, 2025 was the date United and AFA first announced an agreement that they said would provide industry-leading wages if ratified. (afacwa.org) That earlier pact did not win final approval from members. The new agreement was reached on March 26, 2026 after another round of mediated talks in Washington. ### What else is in the contract besides wages? AFA-CWA said the five-year contract includes expanded job-security language, restrictions on some red-eye flying, the end of 24-hour on-call reserve, and paid maternity, parental and adoption leave improvements. (cnbc.com) The union also said the deal aligns some job-security terms with protections already negotiated by United pilots. (united.com) United’s own description of the tentative agreement highlighted better scheduling, boarding pay and pay for long gaps between flights, along with a signing-bonus package the company valued at about $740 million. The union, in announcing ratification, put the retroactive-pay figure at $741 million. ### What happens next for United and its flight attendants? (wnylabortoday.com) May 31 is the date the union said improved pay scales and boarding pay are set to begin, tied to the June bid period. The contract runs through 2031 under the tentative agreement documents published by the union. United enters the summer with the ratified deal in place for nearly 30,000 flight attendants. (united.mediaroom.com) The next visible step is implementation of the new pay provisions and other contract terms laid out by AFA-CWA and the airline. (afacwa.org) (unitedfacontract.org)