Railway Labor Act · Mediation
Central index for Crew Signal’s mediation series under the Railway Labor Act, including core RLA background, year-to-date context, and weekly snapshots of key disputes and National Mediation Board (NMB) activity.
United Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), have been in a multi-year bargaining and mediation cycle governed by the Railway Labor Act. In August 2024, United flight attendants voted 99.99% in favor of strike authorization, sending a strong signal of frustration over pay, duty time, and quality-of-life issues. That vote did not trigger an immediate strike, but it established a high-pressure backdrop for the next phases of talks.
In May 2025, United and AFA reached a tentative agreement (TA) that was widely described as “historic,” with industry-leading compensation, retroactive pay, and boarding-time pay provisions. Union communications estimated roughly a 40% total economic gain in the first year if the agreement were ratified. However, when the TA went to the membership in July 2025, 71% voted “no,” with over 90% turnout, sending the parties back to the table under NMB oversight.
Since the rejection, the dispute has remained in mediated bargaining. Federal mediators initially indicated that their availability to resume formal sessions might be delayed until late 2025, but subsequent updates noted that United and AFA were able to secure additional bargaining dates, even amid government shutdown uncertainty. By early November 2025, AFA had presented targeted proposals to United management and resumed structured bargaining, with the union emphasizing that member priorities would guide any revised agreement.
As of the week of 2025.11.28, there has been no NMB release into a 30-day cooling-off period and no declared strike deadline. The parties remain in mediation. For crews, the key themes are:
United / AFA developments will continue to be reflected in weekly mediation snapshots and any future YTD updates, with particular attention to NMB posture, release/cooling-off risks, and how contract outcomes intersect with broader industry trends in pay, boarding time, and scheduling.
Weekly mediation reports track incremental shifts in posture, NMB activity, and labor strategy. Quiet weeks are still recorded for continuity and context.