DENVER, Colo. — Dozens of Frontier Airlines flight attendants from around the country picketed in front of company headquarters in Denver on Tuesday demanding a new contract with higher pay.
“This picket is to show Frontier it’s time to negotiate a contract that allows us to live,” Association of Flight Attendants Frontier President Jen Sala said.
The union representing the flight attendants said they’ve been negotiating with Frontier for nearly three years fighting for what they call a livable wage.
“Frontier flight attendants are the lowest paid amongst all major carriers, and it's about time that Frontier stands up and actually pays us what we're worth,” Sala said.
Frontier's flight attendants get paid 40 percent less than other airline competitors, according to Sala.
The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) said members have been working under their current contract since 2019, but wages have not kept up with inflation or with what flight attendants are earning at other major airlines.
"United just got a contract. We've gotten contracts at other airlines too. But the fact of the matter is, Frontier has been in negotiations a very, very long time, and stalling is just not going to be acceptable anymore," AFA international secretary treasurer Dante Harris told Denver7.
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The flight attendants are pushing for higher wages, boarding pay and delay pay. They argue flight attendants should be paid for time spent, not just working during an active flight, but on the ground as well.
“The industry standard today is that boarding pay is included in most of the contracts. Frontier Airlines does not pay us boarding pay. We only get paid while the aircraft is moving or in flight. What happens is you go to work for an eight-hour day and you get paid five hours. That's just not sustainable. When those aircraft are delayed, we need to get paid for that as well,” Sala told Denver7.
Boarding pay for flight attendants is the time they start boarding the aircraft.
Sala told Denver7 that during the last negotiations, Frontier Airlines gave them a pay proposal that was far below what they need to survive.
Jennifer Jones, a Denver-based flight attendant, said wages have made it tough to keep up with cost of living and inflation.
"I've been with Frontier for 22 years. When I went into my CPA in in April, and she looked at my W-2s. She said, 'I don't mean to be rude, but how are you living on this?' It's not right," Jones said.
Flight attendants from other airlines joined Frontier employee's during Tuesday's picket, as well as Frontier pilots, who are also in the midst of years-long negotiations with the company over higher wages.
In a statement to Denver7, Frontier Airlines said:
“Frontier Airlines remains committed to negotiating a fair contract for our flight attendants. Frontier and AFA are currently engaged in supervised mediation through the National Mediation Board and meet each month to continue negotiations. Our goal is to reach an agreement that addresses the priorities of our flight attendants while also ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of the airline.”
For a strike to happen in the future, AFA told Denver7 the National Mediation Board process would have to decide negotiations are no longer productive followed by a 30-day "cooling off" period. If a strike did happen, it could disrupt Frontier flights and operations.
"The cost of living has gone up 29 percent. They came to the table with a six to seven percent increase. That's humiliating. It's unconscionable. It's unacceptable," Jones added.
The two sides will return to the negotiating table on Wednesday and Thursday.
Denver7 reached out to other airlines to see if they pay their own flight attendants both boarding pay and delay pay.
In a statement Delta Airlines said:
“Delta is proud to have become the first major U.S. airline to pay our flight attendants during the customer boarding process, starting June 2, 2022, as part of our longstanding commitment to delivery industry-leading pay to our industry-leading team. Delta flight attendants are also compensated in situations involving operational delays and disruptions, though the specific compensation depends on a variety of factors, including the circumstances and duration of the delay, as well as the flight attendant’s assignment.”
United, Southwest and American airlines have not responded as of Tuesday morning.
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