Flight Attendants Picket At Newark Airport Ahead Of Holiday Weekend

NEWARK, NJ — Flight attendants outraged over stalled contract talks and working conditions at United Airlines – which they say are also impacting travelers – held a day of picketing on Thursday at more than 20 airports across the nation, including Newark Airport.

Dozens of workers affiliated with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA showed up in Newark in solidarity with the campaign, which also took place at LaGuardia Airport in nearby New York City.

“Frustrations are running high, as problems the Association of Flight Attendants brought to management's attention a year ago show no signs of being addressed,” United AFA Local Vice President Jennifer Ritter said.

“The lack of a properly staffed crew scheduling department has been leaving cabin crew on hold literally for hours, stranded in airports without hotel accommodations, and getting lost in the system because their schedules are not getting updated in real time,” Ritter continued. “This is having cascading effects throughout the operation, impacting travelers' experience, as well.”

Ritter added:

“Flight attendants have been negotiating for a new contract for the past 18 months, with management proposing only concessionary changes while raking in record-breaking profits for themselves and shareholders. Flight attendants will not indulge such notions, particularly not when the day-to-day operations are having horrendous effects on our work and personal lives.”

United told News 12 New Jersey that it continues to work with the union towards an “industry-leading” agreement.

“All United flights will operate as planned while our flight attendants exercise their right to distribute information and picket while off-duty,” the airline stated.

The picket lines took place ahead of the Labor Day weekend. It’s estimated that more than 2.3 million passengers will travel through John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and New York Stewart International airports from Aug. 31 through Sept. 5, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

• See Related: Cargo Workers Strike At Newark Airport Over 'Unfair Labor Practices'
• See Related: Pilots Are The Latest Workers To Picket At Newark Airport

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