CONTACT: Dave Trostle (850) 497-2491
(Memphis) – Flight attendants represented by United Steelworkers (USW) Local 772 today ratified a five-year contract with Pinnacle Airlines Inc., a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
The contract replaces an agreement that became amendable on Jan. 31, 2011. It covers more than 870 USW-represented flight attendants who work out of Atlanta, Detroit, New York (JFK), Memphis and Minneapolis.
Negotiators for the USW and Pinnacle revised an earlier tentative agreement that was reached in March 2011, but was rejected by the local’s membership in April.
Local 772 President Loretta Stronski said the revised agreement includes significant wage increases and improvements to working conditions and the quality of life for flight attendants.
Stronski praised the local’s bargaining committee including bargaining committee chairperson Cathy Koenig for their endless hours of research and commitment to the members.
“The negotiating committee is confident that we have secured an agreement that is both competitive in the regional airline industry and rewarding to our Pinnacle Airline flight attendants,” Koenig said.
USW International Vice President at Large Carol Landry, who oversees airline industry bargaining for the union, said, “This collective agreement is another step forward in taking on the many challenges that flight attendants face in the workplace. We are confident moving forward that we will continue to address these issues.”
The USW is the largest industrial union in North America and has 850,000 members in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. It represents workers employed in metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, airlines, atomic energy and the service sector.
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