- United Airlines flight attendants protested outside LaGuardia, Austin, Guam and London airports.
- They have been negotiating a new contract for more than two years, their union said.
- CEO Scott Kirby’s salary nearly doubled last year to $18.5 million.
United Airlines flight attendants were demonstrating outside 17 airports around the world on Thursday to protest wages, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said.
In announcing the action, the union said the carrier’s CEO, Scott Kirby, saw his salary increase by about 90% in 2023.
According to a proxy statement filed by the company earlier this month, Kirby received $18.5 million last year, up from $9.8 million the year before.
Much of the increase is due to the fact that he received $6.6 million in cash based on an incentive package, in addition to a salary of more than $1 million, of $10.7 million in stock and $155,740 in “other compensation,” the proxy statement said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average flight attendant earned $70,000 in 2023.
“If the airline has the money to give massive pay increases to its executives, we expect to receive the same,” Ken Diaz, president of AFA United, said in a news release.
“United flight attendants are the lifeblood of this airline, and management must come to the table now with an offer that reflects our essential contribution,” he added.
The AFA said contract negotiations had been going on for more than two years.
This is also happening here at ABI, United Airlines flight attendants are picketing and demanding new contracts. A spokesperson for the protesters said they were demanding pay increases and compensation for hours spent in the air and on the ground. @cbsaustin pic.twitter.com/AGxjvd5Ket
– Jahmal (@JahmalKennedy) April 11, 2024
Skift reported that about a dozen flight attendants were protesting outside New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Thursday.
There were also pickets in Austin, Cleveland, Chicago, San Diego, Guam and the United Kingdom.
“Since last month, we have met with the Association of Flight Attendants and the federal mediator they requested as we continue to work toward an industry-leading agreement for our flight attendants,” United told Business Insider in a communicated.
“Our negotiations continue this week and we have additional dates planned later this month,” they added.
Last July, United reached an agreement with pilots for pay increases of up to 40% over the life of the contract.
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