Sun Country flight attendants vote to authorize strike
MINNEAPOLIS — More than 550 flight attendants for Sun Country Airlines voted to authorize a strike on Thursday.
Teamsters Local 120, which represents hundreds of flight attendants for Sun Country, says it is asking for higher wages amid record revenue for the airline company.
The union says flight attendants have not had a wage adjustment since 2016 and their current pay scale "puts them far behind their colleagues at similar carriers."
Meanwhile, the union says Sun Country exceeded $1 billion in revenue for the first time and reported record revenue in the first quarter of 2024.
"This carrier is making more money than ever because it's short-changing its workforce. Sun Country needs to share the wealth," said Chris Riley, Local 120 Business Agent.
One flight attendant said they voted to strike because "Sun Country is dragging out the negotiation process." Their collective bargaining agreement became fully amendable at the end of 2019, according to Teamsters Local 120.
"We appreciate our flight attendants and everything they do for Sun Country's customers and our airline," a spokesperson for Sun Country said. "We respect their right to express themselves through this vote."
Sun Country says there should be no disruptions to their customers' travel plans.
Negotiation for a new contract is underway with the assistance of a mediator from the National Mediation Board.
The last time airline workers went on strike in the United States was 14 years ago when Spirit Airlines pilots walked off the job over a pay dispute.