We haven’t had a raise since 2019
Ed Bastian knows exactly how and when he’ll get paid. So does the rest of management. They have contracts. We should too. Instead, recent statements from management give us no hope of a raise anytime soon.
Delta Flight Attendants have not gotten a raise (increase to the pay scale) since 2019. Meanwhile, unionized Flight Attendants at other airlines have had contractual raises, and even negotiated additional pay raises during the pandemic. For example:
United AFA Flight Attendants last contractual pay scale raise was in August 2020, while pay step raises continue. They have begun negotiations for a new contract.
Alaska AFA Flight Attendants received their contractual 2.5% pay increase for the entire pay scale on December 17, 2020. Then, during the pandemic, negotiated a one year contract extension with a 1.5% increase to the entire pay scale on December 17, 2021. They will return to negotiations this year for more.
At Hawaiian, AFA was able to secure a new contract in April 2020 (!!) with 5 years of pay raises.
In fact, Hawaiian AFA’s contractual pay scale will surpass Delta’s at every pay step from 2nd Year to 12th Year on April 3, 2022. Additionally, the Hawaiian AFA contract provides longevity pay after completion of 25 years of service.
***Both charts above are the same but reflect varying terminology at each carrier. The Delta FAWR pay scale uses terms like "After 1 year" meaning Flight Attendants have completed their entire first year of flying and move to their "2nd year" step on the pay scale.
NOT ADDING UP
Management’s reasons and explanations for a lack of raises for Flight Attendants don’t match up with their actions.
In February 2021, management received “one-time adjustment” payments up to $250,000 for some. They say management took a paycut and they were just restoring it. But, Flight Attendants took a paycut too as we lost flying and access to the same number of hours, not to mention the fact that we went to work as essential workers with greater risk of contact with the virus when a lot of management were working from home.
Ed’s comment in August 2021, “If we get 100% vaccinated, we will give raises.”
Bastian recently boasted to investors about the benefits of “juniority” - meaning more Flight Attendants are on the lower end of the pay scale with all the retirements and early outs pushed by the company in 2020 and recent hiring.
In December, management announced a $1.2 billion investment in foreign carriers. That’s our money.
Seems there was plenty of money for all of that…
Management's Rumor Has It answers make it clear that management has no intention of giving a raise any time soon or until they have to—when other unionized Flight Attendant work groups increase the pay scale or to try to blunt our organizing by trotting out the same unbinding promise that Delta will “take care of us” in order to dissuade us from locking in our collective bargaining rights with our union.
POWER IN KNOWING
Management says American Airlines Flight Attendants haven’t gotten a raise since 2019 either. But American Flight Attendants have a contract that they can count on and they are negotiating a new contract that’s only been held up until now by COVID. Soon they will lock in new contractual raises they can count on, but in the meantime management must negotiate with them if conditions change - like over the holidays where American Flight Attendants got 300% pay negotiated by their union.
There’s power in knowing when raises will come. Take for example this American Airlines Flight Attendant who started flying just before COVID hit. He explained in a recent Facebook post, “Honestly, I grew up in an anti-union household but now I love the union. Your benefits are written out so I know what day, what year, etc I get pay raises, vacation, leave policies, etc. and the company can’t decide overnight to change a policy. It’s just easier to plan your life.”
NIXED OTHER COMPENSATION
Remember when we used to get SkyBucks for customer surveys and MyRewards for the onboard sales incentive program for headsets, snack box sales, alcohol, etc. Management unilaterally put these financial benefits for Flight Attendants on hold. That’s real $$$ no longer in our paychecks with no idea when, or even if, it will return. It’s one more reminder that management holds all the cards.
DONE WAITING & WE WON’T BE FOOLED
American, United, Hawaiian — pretty much every other U.S. Flight Attendant knows what to count on as detailed in their contract. Instead, we’re waiting and wondering, wishing and hoping that management, and management alone, will wake up one day and decide to give raises.
We’re done waiting. We’re organizing to build our Flight Attendant union so we have control and know what to count on for our collective future—sign a card, then sign up to help secure our union.
Management may give us raises in the meantime to try and deter us. Great! We’ll take the raise and our Flight Attendant union.
Delta Flight Attendants in Solidarity with Breeze AFA