As We Rise, the Truth Comes Out: Lawsuits Expose SkyWest and SIA
With recent court dismissals clearing two wrongfully targeted Flight Attendants—and SkyWest management continuing to double down on efforts to silence our organizing—it’s time to revisit how this is connected. These lawsuits expose a system designed to keep us from gaining a real voice at work.
With SkyWest AFA, we are shifting the power.
SkyWest and SIA: Under Federal Scrutiny
SkyWest management—and the company-controlled group they fund and operate, SIA—are now entangled in multiple federal lawsuits. These legal actions reveal a troubling pattern of retaliation, election interference, and a lack of accountability. Instead of addressing SkyWest Flight Attendants’ concerns, management continues to deprive us of our democratic right to representation free from interference from management. A management who instead doubles down on Flight Attendants who dare to speak up. Here’s how we got here—and what it means for all of us.
The 2023 SIA Election Breakdown
In August 2023, SIA held an election for two board seats. From the start, many Flight Attendants experienced voting issues. Some were told they had already voted when they hadn’t. Others found that one candidate was pre-selected and couldn’t be removed. SIA brushed off these concerns as a “glitch.”
Whistleblowers Expose Vulnerabilities
Just before the election closed, Salt Lake City-based Flight Attendant Tresa Grange shared a video created by fellow FA Shane Price in employee social media groups. The video demonstrated that Flight Attendants’ unique voting codes were accessible on their website because of SIA’s failure to maintain the integrity of its so-called “election” process.
Shortly after the video circulated, SIA suspended the “election”, vaguely citing “suspicious activity,” but without acknowledging the footage, the whistleblowers, or the security breach. One month later, both Grange and Price were terminated.
Management’s Escalation— and the Truth
SkyWest management promoted a false narrative about the whistleblowers’ actions—casting doubt on their intentions for exposing serious election vulnerabilities. Soon after, criminal charges were filed against them. While the exact source remains unclear, the timing aligned suspiciously with management’s claims. In the end, the court dismissed the charges with prejudice, confirming they never should have been brought.
The reality is clear: Grange and Price are whistleblowers. They raised valid concerns about the integrity of an election process that affected every SkyWest Flight Attendant. Instead of being heard, they were punished. Incredibly, according to the company’s own investigation, the individual who was actually found to have cast fraudulent votes faced no similar consequences.
Legal Action: Flight Attendants Fight Back
Now, with the support of AFA-CWA, Grange and Price are suing SkyWest for wrongful termination (Federal Lawsuit #1). Another one of us, Flight Attendant Brandon Finley, stepped forward, joining the legal fight by suing SIA for falsely posing as a labor representative while being entirely funded and directed by management.
Department of Labor Lawsuits
In addition, several Flight Attendants reported SIA’s election conduct to the U.S. Department of Labor. After investigating, the DOL concluded that SIA can’t have it both ways: they can’t say they represent SkyWest Flight Attendants while at the same time fail to follow basic laws that provide transparency about its operation to all workers it pretends to represent under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA). Yet, SIA continues to refuse to comply. The DOL filed a suit to enforce compliance (DOL Lawsuit #1) and a second lawsuit after SIA conducted another flawed election (DOL Lawsuit #2). More legal actions may follow.
SIA’s Illusion of Legitimacy Falls Apart
This isn’t an isolated issue. SIA has never been an independent or legally recognized labor union. From the start, it was created and funded by management. While it attempts to present itself as a representative body, it has consistently lacked a real union’s structure, standards, and accountability. Even its attempts to simulate democratic processes have raised serious concerns, from inconsistent practices to implausible outcomes, like the now-infamous election where a winter coat allegedly “won” over a pay raise. These patterns have only further undermined confidence. In contrast, none of this could have happened under AFA-CWA. The AFA-CWA Constitution and Bylaws mandate secure, transparent, and independently administered elections. Strict protocols prevent the kinds of failures seen under SIA—and most importantly, elected members, not management, run the organization.
The Power of a Real Union
Let’s be crystal clear: had we already secured an AFA-CWA contract, Grange and Price would have been protected by just cause standards and a binding grievance process. Baseless terminations like these—especially over matters that should fall under union jurisdiction—would never even be management’s decision to make. The fact that SkyWest leadership inserted itself so deeply into SIA’s internal affairs—and used those actions to target whistleblowers—makes it plain: SIA and SkyWest management are not separate. They are one and the same.
We Must Hold Management Accountable
This will continue to happen as long as SkyWest management has unchecked control to lash out at any Flight Attendant who lands in their crosshairs. This could happen to any one of us. That’s why we need real, enforceable protections—and the only way to get them is through our SkyWest AFA union.
Why Management Resists Accountability
The truth is, SkyWest management treasures the absolute control they have over our jobs and our lives. They hold tightly to their ability to retaliate against anyone who speaks up or challenges the status quo. The only way to bring that unchecked power into balance—and finally secure the fairness, dignity, and protections we all deserve—is by organizing with AFA.
Even without a contract in place yet, AFA is already standing with us—fighting in the courts, defending Flight Attendants, and demanding accountability.
SIA: Representation in Appearance Only
SIA was designed to look like a union, but it has never functioned as one. These lawsuits are exposing that truth. SIA doesn’t negotiate, protect, or serve us. It was built to shield management, not to represent Flight Attendants.
It's Time to Organize
That’s why we’re organizing—not just to end retaliation but to build something better—something real, something we control.
