Why Do Contract Negotiations Take So Long?
It's a question that comes up a lot: If unionizing is so effective, why do contract negotiations at other airlines sometimes take years? And how could that possibly benefit us at SkyWest?
The answer is simple: management doesn't want to give up control.
Here at SkyWest, management uses long negotiations at other airlines to paint a false picture of union representation. They want us to believe that unionizing means endless delays and empty promises. But the truth is, they fear what a real union gives us: a legal seat at the table, binding agreements, and the power to stand up for ourselves.
The Delay Tactic: A Tool of Control
Management across the industry often stalls negotiations—not because unions are ineffective, but because they're effective. When workers are organized, management’s only move is to delay, hoping to weaken resolve. But at unionized carriers, that strategy is wearing thin. Flight Attendants have responded with overwhelming strike votes, unprecedented unity, and demands for retroactive pay to ensure they aren’t penalized for management's delays.
At SkyWest, management doesn’t even have to delay. Without a union, they already have full control. That’s why they want us to fear the very process that holds them accountable.
Union Democracy: A Process That Works
Unlike the management-controlled SIA, a union isn’t handpicked. It's made up of us. We elect our leaders, define our priorities, and vote on contracts. Every Flight Attendant has a say. That process isn’t always fast, but it’s fair. And it’s powerful.
SkyWest management calls it "slow" because they prefer decisions made behind closed doors, with no input from those of us on the line. But union democracy means we decide what we’re willing to accept—and when we stand together to demand more, that’s not failure. That’s how progress happens.
Policy vs. Power
Management loves to show off SIA policies that glitter on the surface. But policies can be revoked, rewritten, or ignored without notice. There’s no legal obligation for management to keep them—because SIA isn’t a union, and doesn’t negotiate binding contracts.
With a union, we get more than promises. We get enforceable rights. And even after a contract becomes amendable, all provisions remain active until a new agreement is reached. That’s real security.
Negotiations Take Time Because We’re Worth It
When we negotiate as equals with management, it doesn’t always go quickly—because management doesn’t want to give up what they've had total control over. But our coworkers at other AFA-represented carriers have proven that fighting for what we deserve pays off. They’ve won stronger work rules, better scheduling protections, fair pay structures, and more.
Everything we benefit from in this career today—from duty rigs to rest rules to pay scales—exists because unionized Flight Attendants fought for it at the bargaining table. Every contract builds on the last. That’s how this profession has progressed: not through policies or goodwill, but through bargaining, solidarity, and persistence.
SkyWest management wants to distract us from that reality. They want us to believe that fighting back isn’t worth the effort. But the reason negotiations take time is because they work.
Unity Pays Off
We know management fears what a legally recognized union would mean: real power in the hands of Flight Attendants. That’s why they’re working so hard to convince us not to want it.
But we’re smarter than that. We see through the spin. And we know that the only way to get the respect, protections, and pay we’ve earned is by standing together, voting yes for AFA, and demanding more.
We don’t have to settle for policies. We can negotiate a contract.
