Sun Country flight attendants to stage informational picket line at MSP Airport
MINNEAPOLIS — Flight attendants for Sun Country Airlines will hold an informational picket on Wednesday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Teamsters Local 120, which represents more than 600 of its flight attendants, say they are demanding better pay and a fair contract.
RELATED: How a pandemic pivot helped save Sun Country Airlines
The union says wages are below industry standards, while Sun Country made record revenue last month.
Both sides have been bargaining since October 2021. A tentative agreement was offered last May, but it was turned down by 96% of its flight attendants.
The Minneapolis-based airline has been in operation for 41 years, and reported in November its third-quarter profits were the highest on record, with $249 million in gains. Its total operating revenue was last listed at more than $800 million.
WCCO spoke with CEO Jude Bricker in late 2022, who said his company was able to survive and even thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic by repurposing many of its planes as cargo carriers for Amazon.
Sun Country released this statement Wednesday morning about the informational picket:
We appreciate everything our flight attendants do for our passengers and our company every day. We respect their right to conduct an informational picket.
Sun Country is committed to working collaboratively with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 120 under the auspices of the National Mediation Board to reach an agreement that our more than 600 flight attendants will be proud to support and that supports the airline's continued growth. Sun Country and the IBT held our first mediation session, which is a common tool in the negotiation process, in late December.
It's important that travelers know that there is no disruption to their flights from today's informational picket. In addition, today's action does not mean there will be a strike in the future. Under federal law, there are many steps, including a notification to the public, that would have to happen before a strike, and that is not where we are in the process. Sun Country is confident an agreement can be reached.
The picket will be held Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Terminal 2.