Status This Week
On September 3, CWA-AFA published its account of the August 25–26 NMB-mediated session. The union said the parties’ wage scales had not moved since March, that the discussion shifted to the Attendance Policy, and that they agreed to use interest-based bargaining on the sick-leave-bank issue. An additional one-day mediated session was calendared for September 11.
Contract timing: Horizon’s Flight Attendant agreement became amendable on 2024.05.01. As of 2026.09.04, 2 years, 4 months and 3 days—856 days—had elapsed since that date. The first NMB-mediated session began on 2025.06.23, so 1 year, 2 months and 12 days—438 days—had elapsed in the mediated phase. The two clocks are tracked separately.
Process Signals
- CWA-AFA’s staff attorney and negotiator participated, and its General Counsel joined the August session. That is direct evidence of shared legal and bargaining resources being deployed at a represented carrier.
- The union seeks to preserve one sick-leave bank protected by paid-sick-leave rules, while management favors a two-bank approach and earlier Attendance Reviews. The parties’ decision to use interest-based bargaining on that defined dispute creates a measurable September 11 test.
- CWA-AFA said the parties were “coming closer to an overall impasse.” That is the union’s assessment, not an NMB impasse determination or release. The strike-authorization vote remains a solidarity and leverage device; lawful self-help would require the later statutory steps and cooling-off period.
CrewSignal Assessment
The September 3 update improves transparency by identifying the stalled wage framework, the issue selected for focused bargaining and the additional date. It also shows that high-level multi-carrier legal resources were present. The reported absence of wage movement after 438 days in mediation remains the more important outcome measure.
Interest-based bargaining on the attendance dispute may produce a targeted agreement even while the overall economics remain apart. CrewSignal will evaluate whether the September 11 session closes that issue, changes the wage package or produces a verifiable step toward settlement.
Notable Public References
- National Mediation Board Weekly Activity Report, August 31–September 4, 2026 — View →
- National Mediation Board FY2027 Congressional Budget Justification — View →
- Horizon CWA-AFA August Mediation Update, Published September 3 — View →
- Horizon CWA-AFA Mediation Schedule — View →
- Horizon CWA-AFA Amendable-Date Committee Notice — View →
- Horizon First NMB-Mediated Session Update — View →
- Horizon CWA-AFA Strike-Authorization Process Explanation — View →