Delta flight attendants gear up for possible unionization push

Flight attendants at Delta Air Lines may soon reignite efforts to unionize, as public support for labor grows nationwide. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, indicated that a unionization campaign might emerge “in a few months,” citing stronger support from community groups and political figures in Atlanta, where Delta is headquartered, notes Skift.

Delta has a history of successful union resistance; in the last serious attempt, a 2010 vote saw unionization narrowly defeated after extensive campaigning from both sides. Delta has historically offered higher pay and benefits to avoid unionization, and recent steps to pay flight attendants for boarding may reflect an effort to attract and retain younger, pro-union talent. Nelson believes that Delta's flight attendants now have an opportunity to make lasting change for improved conditions and wages.