United Airlines Reaches Tentative Labor Deal with Flight Attendants, Union Calls It ‘Industry-Leading’

United Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with its 28,000 flight attendants that the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is calling an “industry-leading” labor deal.

Announced Friday, the agreement includes a 40% increase in total economic improvements in the first year, along with retroactive pay, a signing bonus, and enhanced scheduling policies designed to improve work-life balance.

Flight attendants have not received a raise since 2020 and had previously voted to authorize a strike if negotiations failed. Talks were escalated to federal mediation in 2024 after months of stalled progress.

“We believe this agreement represents a major step forward,” the union said, while withholding further details until full contract language is finalized.

Final Approval Still Pending

United Airlines confirmed the deal and said the proposed contract will undergo final language review before being submitted to members for a ratification vote in the coming weeks.

The airline is the last of the major U.S. carriers to reach a post-pandemic labor deal with its flight attendants, following successful negotiations by other unions across the industry.

The agreement comes as airline workers across the country have pushed for improved pay and working conditions, citing pandemic-era sacrifices and increasing inflation.