United Airlines flight attendants voted to authorize a strike Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean they’re about to walk off the job.
The airline’s flight attendants have been eligible to update their contract for nearly three years, according to the Association of Flight Attendants, and negotiations are ongoing. They’re just the latest working group at airlines to vote to authorize a strike.
“We deserve an industry-leading contract. Our strike vote shows we’re ready to do whatever it takes to reach the contract we deserve,” Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of AFA said in a statement. “The 99.99% yes vote is a clear reminder that we are unified in the fight against corporate greed and ready to fight for our fair share of the profits we create.”
But travelers getting ready to head to the airport for Labor Day weekend don’t need to worry too much. The strike vote is just a procedural step, and while it does mean the chances of a strike are increased, it’s unlikely flight attendants will walk off the job. Even if they eventually do go on strike, it won’t happen immediately.
United’s flight attendant negotiations are already before the National Mediation Board, and the flight attendants would have to seek an official release from the talks with management. If granted, the two sides would enter a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period and could enter into arbitration to come to an agreement. During that period, President Joe Biden could create a Presidential Emergency Board to avert a strike, but if his administration didn’t take that step, then – and only then – could United’s flight attendants stop flying.
Unionized flight attendants at many major U.S. airlines have held strike authorization votes in the last few years, but none have actually enacted a strike.