CHICAGO- Flight attendants at United Airlines (UA) are preparing to continue contract negotiations with the Chicago-based carrier later this month, even as a potential partial government shutdown threatens to sideline the federal mediator who usually oversees talks.
More than 26,000 United flight attendants have been working without a new contract since April 2021, when the last agreement became amendable. Since then, wages have stagnated while inflation has risen sharply, intensifying calls for a revised deal.
United Flight Attendants Push for Contract
Negotiations between United Airlines (UA) and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) remain at a standstill after crew members rejected a tentative deal in July 2025.
The proposed contract, announced in June, promised an immediate average pay raise of 26.9%, but 71% of participating flight attendants voted against it, with 92% of eligible members casting ballots.
Following the rejection, the AFA-CWA sought to quickly return to the bargaining table. However, the National Mediation Board (NMB), which provides federal mediators for airline labor disputes, initially indicated that it could not resume sessions until December. Under mounting pressure, the union managed to secure an additional early round of talks scheduled for late October in Chicago (ORD).
A potential government shutdown, however, threatens to disrupt those plans. The NMB mediator may not be available if federal operations pause.
Despite that uncertainty, the union and United have agreed to proceed with negotiations at the end of October — with or without mediation support. Reported by PYOK, this move reflects the urgency both sides now face in resolving the long-running impasse.
Why the First Agreement Failed
Ahead of the new negotiations, AFA-CWA surveyed members to understand why the initial tentative agreement was rejected. Some respondents admitted they voted “No”, believing the first offer was simply a starting point in a common negotiation pattern.
In fact, rejecting an initial agreement has become a widespread tactic across major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS), and Southwest Airlines (WN), where crews pushed back initial deals to secure improved terms.
Union leaders at United, however, warned that the first deal was likely the best achievable within the existing mediation structure. Even so, members overwhelmingly opted to reject it, signaling deep frustration over pay, scheduling, and work-life balance issues that have persisted since 2021.
What Comes Next
If meaningful progress is not made during the October bargaining round, additional sessions are already scheduled through March 2026. Both United and the AFA-CWA face growing pressure to finalize a deal before the holiday travel season, when operational reliability and labor stability are critical.
The outcome of these talks could set the tone for upcoming negotiations across the U.S. airline industry, where labor unions are increasingly using collective leverage to demand faster pay adjustments and stronger workplace protections.
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