Status This Week
On September 14, CWA-AFA announced that the Air Wisconsin tentative agreement did not ratify. The union disclosed that only six Flight Attendants voted in favor, but the public notice did not provide the total ballots cast or the number voting against. CWA-AFA said it had delivered the membership’s message to management and would continue bargaining after the Negotiating Team met to determine next steps.
Contract timing: Air Wisconsin’s Flight Attendant agreement became amendable on 2022.10.01. As of 2026.09.18, 3 years, 11 months and 17 days—1,448 days—had elapsed since that amendable date. The current-round opener is dated 2022.08.16, 4 years, 1 month and 2 days—1,494 days—before this report. CWA-AFA’s broader description of a process exceeding five years remains separate.
Process Signals
- The rejection is the week’s decisive bargaining event. A proposed settlement was reached, explained through roadshows and submitted to a vote, but it did not meet the membership’s ratification threshold.
- The two-year term and eighteen-month opener in the rejected package are no longer final contract terms. The January 2026 wage adjustment and May 2026 sideletter remain separate interim gains and should not be counted again as value from any future revised agreement.
- The NMB weekly report recorded no ratification or closed case for Air Wisconsin. CWA-AFA’s statement that bargaining will continue is therefore consistent with an unresolved mediated dispute.
CrewSignal Assessment
A multi-carrier union’s resources should be judged not only by whether they produce a tentative agreement, but by whether that agreement is responsive enough to win informed member approval. After 1,448 days beyond the amendable date, a disclosed total of only six affirmative votes is a serious failure of ratifiability, even though the public notice does not reveal the full turnout.
The next accountability test is concrete: CWA-AFA should identify the provisions members rejected, explain how its revised strategy will address them and report whether management is prepared to return promptly to substantive bargaining. CrewSignal will not infer the reasons for the vote without a member survey or fuller public record.
Notable Public References
- National Mediation Board Weekly Activity Report, September 14–18, 2026 — View →
- National Mediation Board FY2027 Congressional Budget Justification — View →
- Air Wisconsin CWA-AFA Tentative Agreement Voting Result, September 14, 2026 — View →
- Air Wisconsin CWA-AFA Rejected Tentative Agreement Summary — View →
- Air Wisconsin CWA-AFA Current-Round Contract Opener, August 16, 2022 — View →
- Air Wisconsin Flight Attendant Amendable-Date Disclosure — View →