Southwest Airlines flight attendants have ratified a contract that includes pay increases totaling more than 33% over four years, as airline workers continue to benefit from the industry's rebound since the pandemic.
Local 556 members approved the contract by an 81% to 19% margin, the transportation workers union said Wednesday. The union council rejected a lower offer last summer, and the flight attendants Vote against The second proposal is in December.
Southwest has about 20,000 flight attendants. They will receive raises of more than 22% on May 1, and annual raises of 3% in each of the following three years.
The union said the contract provides record earnings for flight attendants and sets a standard for other flight attendants. Cabin crews at United Airlines and American Airlines, represented by other unions, are still negotiating contracts.
The union said the deal gives Southwest crews the shortest workday and highest pay in the industry, compensation during disruptions like Southwest's collapse in December 2022, and paid maternity and paternity leave for the first time in the industry. The workers will also share $364 million in certification bonuses, according to the union.
Dallas-based Southwest, the nation's fourth-largest airline, said the contract includes scheduling changes and will help operate the airline.
Pilot unions at Delta, United, American and Southwest last year approved contracts that increased wages by more than a third over several years. Delta said this week that its flight attendants and other non-union workers will get the job 5% increases.