United Flight Attendants to Picket Thursday

The union that represents United Airline Flight Attendants will picket at airports around the world on Thursday, Dec. 17, protesting the lack of urgency that the airline has shown to complete its merger with Continental Airlines and properly reward flight attendants for their work.

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) believes that the five years it has taken for United to finalize the merger has not allowed for United Flight Attendants to sign its own joint contract and get a share of the profits it helps create. “It’s been five years, and now five holiday seasons, since United Airlines initiated the merger. United Flight Attendants are still without a joint contract, and work another holiday season without sharing in the profits they help create,” said AFA president Sara Nelson. “A joint contract provides Flight Attendants, the airline and its passengers with the stability of a fully operational airline.”

The union will picket at several major airports on Thursday, including Chicago, Newark, and Boston, as well as London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Guam. Members of the Air Line Pilots Association, passengers, and other unions are expected to join.

United Airlines did not respond to a request for a comment by press time.