Flight attendants union sees ‘real improvements,’ OKs new deal with Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines flight attendants, including roughly 130 based at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, will receive raises, a signing bonus and other improvements under a four-year contract they ratified overwhelmingly this week.
“This contract will make an immediate difference in our lives at Piedmont,” AFA Piedmont president Keturah Johnson said in a statement. “This contract provides real improvements overnight and throughout the length of the contract.”
The workers, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, will see their base hourly wages climb 3% to 12%, depending on where they are on the pay scale, according to the union. Over the four years, their base hourly rate will rise 24% to 56%, officials said.
The contract includes a $1,800 signing bonus, holiday pay protection when flights are canceled, and four personal days each year, up from two, according to the union. The contract includes no cuts in the flight attendants’ high-quality health care programs, AFA officials said.
And matching 401(k) contributions increase 1% under the contract, according to the AFA.
The union reached a tentative agreement on Jan. 20 during mediation with the National Mediation Board, AFA officials said.
In October, the flight attendants voted unanimously to authorize a future strike, now averted by the agreement that 87% of the workers ratified on Wednesday, according to the union.
“As we work with Piedmont to get this contract fully implemented, we will also organize with Flight Attendants across our industry to negotiate for continued improvements that reflect the value we bring to our airlines,” according to Johnson’s statement.
Headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, Piedmont Airlines is an American Airlines subsidiary. Piedmont Airlines flight attendants are based in Charlotte and Philadelphia. The airline operates 400 daily flights to about 55 destinations.