Six months after first filing for an election, flight attendants at Avelo Airlines have announced that they will be represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA). The result has been controversial, as only 14 of 77 flight attendants were eligible to vote in the election.

Workers have alleged that Avelo waged an aggressive anti-union campaign to delay the vote as workers fought to improve conditions at the startup airline. Despite the airline launching in 2021, it has reportedly struggled to retain staff members despite its rapid growth.

In a statement, Sara Nelson, AFA International President, said,

“Avelo Flight Attendants sent a message to their management and anyone thinking of starting an airline: we want respect and fairness from the start. The Flight Attendants will elect representatives from among their ranks and dig into the work of preparing for contract negotiations based on the priorities set by all Avelo Flight Attendants. As part of AFA they have experts to work with them through the collective bargaining process and the full strength of our Flight Attendant union behind them every step of the way.”

Avelo Airlines
Despite the airline being less than a year old, it has reportedly been plagued by high staff turnover. Photo: Getty Images

Flight attendants first filed for recognition with the National Mediation Board (NMB) in October 2021, though legislative and legal disputes delayed the election.

Avelo, represented by legal firm Jones Day, has been embroiled in a legal battle against the NMB. The airline has accused the board of violating federal labor law by preventing new hires from voting in the election, citing the Railway Labor Act.

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According to dockets available on Law360, the NMB did not follow the act's requirement that a union seeking representation must have the interest of at least 50% of workers for the election to proceed. The NMB’s voting cut-off date barred 70% of flight attendants from voting, with only 14 of 77 employees casting a vote in the election. Of the 14, 8 voted to join AFA.

Speaking to Simple Flying, Jim Olson, Head of Communications at Avelo Airlines, noted that the airline will continue its legal challenge against the NMB to ensure all flight attendants at the airline have representation,

"Despite our efforts to give every Avelo Flight Attendant a vote in this election, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) successfully fought against that, which resulted in only 14 of our Inflight Crewmembers being eligible to vote. Consequently, the 8 Flight Attendants who voted for unionization have forced AFA representation on all 77 Avelo Flight Attendants."

"We will press forward with the lawsuit our company previously filed in federal court challenging the legitimacy of an election that denied most of our Flight Attendants a vote in this important decision. We continue to believe Avelo’s direct collaboration is the best way to build an airline our Customers love to fly and our Crewmembers are proud to be part of."

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA has been approached for comment.

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Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy confirmed he will continue his battle against the National Mediation Board in a statement to employees on Wednesday. Photo: Getty Images

Who is the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA?

AFA is the main flight attendant’s union in the United States, representing over 45,000 workers across multiple airlines. The union has notably supported battles for mandatory face masks, grounding aggressive passengers, and improving working conditions.

Concurrently, the union has supported a series of pickets held by Spirit Airlines flight attendants over breaches in contract. Employees have alleged that frequent “operational meltdowns” have left employees stranded in cities across the United States.

What do you think of Avelo’s flight attendants joining the AFA? Should the airline work closer with the union to address staff concerns? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Law360