CHARLOTTE Local Charlotte News — Piedmont Airlines flight attendants based in Charlotte and Philadelphia unanimously voted this week to authorize a strike. The Association of Flight Attendants represents the flight crew members who are asking for competitive pay and better work rules.
Keturah Johnson, the MEC President for Piedmont flight attendants says the overwhelming response to the vote speaks volumes.
“It told me the flight attendants couldn’t be more clear — they are standing together in solidarity and unity. They’re fed up with Piedmont and we are demanding better.”
75% of eligible voters cast a ballot for the strike vote. Of those, 100% of flight attendants voted in favor of the measure.
Earlier in the week, demonstrations in Philadelphia outside the American Airlines terminal brought attention from travelers.
The American Airlines wholly-owned regional airline serves cities up and down the east coast with more than 60 departures a day from Charlotte.
Johnson says Passengers should be aware of the labor practices in play at the airlines they book tickets on.
“I would encourage passengers to choose an airline that is taking care of their employees — Because we are aviation‘s first responders. We are professionals, we love our jobs and we take pride in our jobs and that’s why we are trying to raise the bar across the industry.”
In a statement from Piedmont, the airline says management looks forward to coming back to the negotiating table in November, saying in part, “We are in agreement our team members deserve the best contract and we are committed to delivering that to them. We look forward to getting back to negotiations in November.”
The National Mediation Board must now release the Piedmont flight attendants to actually strike after a 30-day cooling-off period.
