Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines represented by Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556 ratified a four-year contract that includes a 22.3% raise on May 1, $364 million in retroactive wages, industry-first paid maternal and parental leave, additional compensation for extra time spent on the ground while on duty, higher pay for irregular operations, premium pay for an extended duty day, pay protections for flight attendants who experience an on-the-job injury, and provides holiday pay for three more holidays: July Fourth, Memorial Day and Labor Day. The contract was approved, with 81% of votes in favor.
“This deal provides significant raises and critical quality-of-life improvements for TWU’s Southwest Flight Attendants who worked through historic operational meltdowns and a global pandemic,” said TWU International Executive Vice President Alex Garcia. “TWU Local 556 won quantifiable compensation throughout all phases of the day that will put real money into our Flight Attendants’ pay checks. This is the least they deserve after years of hard work and negotiations.”