Continental Flight Attendants Ratify New Tentative Agreement

Ten thousand Continental Flight Attendants have ratified a contract extension with United, the AFA Continental Master Executive Council announced last Friday.

The agreement extends their contract for 28 months, providing Flight Attendants "additional economic and job security, benefits, flexibility, and growth." Meanwhile, the council has immediately started working to bring all three United subsidiary groups, which includes Continental, under a single contract.

"The ratification of this contract extension is the direct result of positive and innovative labor relations — where labor's vital contribution to the operation and the bottom line is recognized," said Marcus Valentino, the council president.

Continental Micronesia also reached a tentative agreement this week with United Continental Holdings, covering the carrier's more than 275 Flight Attendants. The agreement — extending the current contract to 2014 and providing improvements to job security, flexibility, and economic growth — now goes to the membership for ratification.

"This is a big step forward," said Suzanne Hendricks, AFA president of Continental Micronesia. "Our AFA negotiations team has worked diligently to reach an agreement that keeps intact the items most important to Flight Attendants — while still including a pay raise and other benefits. Upon ratification, we look forward to moving into joint contract negotiations that will complete the epic merger of three carriers which will make us the largest airline in the world."