United Airlines had some real theatrics today at Brooklyn Navy Yard where they were touting their vision for a new premium product – with flight attendant protestors rushing the stage.

One Mile at a Time reported the incident at United’s media event unveiling new Polaris business class suites, where flight attendants rushed the stage to protest the lack of a new contract. It has been five years since they’ve had a raise. Their contract became amendable four years ago.

Shortly before United executives got on stage to speak, roughly a dozen United flight attendants in uniform walked right in front of the stage with large signs, loudly screaming phrases like:

“If we don’t get it, shut it down”
“What do we want? A contract. When do we want it? Now!”

This lasted for maybe a minute, but security then stepped in and ushered them out to leave, with one person even being heard accusing them of trespassing.

Here’s video:

The FAs have their say at today’s UA new Polaris event pic.twitter.com/eyooJNbEGT

— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) May 13, 2025

But first, a brief protest by a very vocal group of United flight attendants demanding better contract terms. Good on them!

[image or embed]

— Jason Rabinowitz (@airlineflyer.net) May 13, 2025 at 9:08 AM

The United Airlines flight attendants union put out a statement in protest as well.

United Airlines management today announced new premium cabins while continuing to demand concessions from Flight Attendants in negotiations this week.

“Service doesn’t happen without us,” said @FlyingWithSara & @AFAUnitedMEC Pres. Ken Diaz. https://t.co/9KfxdbMy4h #ContractNow https://t.co/vjAvgHHIuH

— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) May 13, 2025

It is of course correct that United’s flight attendants should get raises. The value of their 2020 wages have been significantly eroded by inflation, and flight attendants at non-union Delta and at American and Southwest now earn more than they do.

At the same time, the length of time it’s taken to get a contract was first a function of the pandemic (it made no sense to bargain during Covid, because that would have been a concessionary agreement) and of the strategy employed by the union.

The United Airlines flight attendants union chose to have American Airlines ‘go first’ in negotiations, and even lent their chief negotiator to American’s contract talks even though American flight attendants are represented by a different union.

• That way if a strike was necessary to get to a better deal, it would be a different union’s members who suffered to set a higher bar for wages.
  
• And the United flight attendants union would have that contract as a jumping off point to negotiate from.

United Employees Were Happy At The Last Polaris Reveal

What they didn’t count on was the delay costing them leverage. President Biden was the most pro-union President in modern memory, and even he didn’t sign off on an airline strike. (Presidents appoint a majority to the National Mediation Board which authorizes airline strikes, and has the authority to pause them.) An airline strike becomes less likely in this new administration. The union fired its negotiators.

That’s how we got where we are today. United flight attendants need a deal quickly, in case the economy deteriorates and their bargaining position erodes further.

New United Airlines Business Class Row 1

New United Airlines Business Class Row 1

They also need United to be able to attract premium revenue to pay for the wages they’re demanding. Part of that is having a competitive business class product – exactly what these crewmembers were protesting today. Better onboard service from cabin crew, and a better hard product, will drive revenue gains that fund their wages.