United Airlines flight attendants picketing for new contract at Phoenix Sky Harbor

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- United Airlines flight attendants are picketing at Sky Harbor Airport on Thursday morning, one of the many airports that off-duty workers will be raising awareness and sending a message to United Airlines’ management over a new contract.

It’s been years since their last contract has expired, the union for the United Airlines Flight Attendants, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), said. Flight attendants want better pay and benefits, this comes after American Airlines flight attendants overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.

“We are simply not getting the support from the company and our contract is written to reach out to scheduling if there was an operational issue and we’ve had two major meltdowns this summer where we simply cannot get ahold of scheduling,” said CWA-AFA representative Peter Coenen. Coenen is calling on United’s management to address infrastructure, staffing and other issues that caused last months operational meltdown which the union said left passengers and flight crews stranded across the country.

The union said it was a massive disruption that led to days of cancellations and delays. “When we run into an operational meltdown, our days are getting longer and we are working more days as well, also simply because we cant get ahold of scheduling, so we are supposed to work a 2 day trip which turns into a 3 to 4 day trip,” said Coenen.

Earlier this year, pilots at American and Southwest Airlines both voted to authorize a strike. Since then, American pilots ratified a new contract with their employer.

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