US lawmakers urge mediation board to help flight attendants reach labor deals

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -More than 160 U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday urged the National Mediation Board to take steps to help about 80,000 flight attendants reach new contract deals.

Flight attendants at United Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Frontier are among workers at more than a dozen airlines still working to reach new contract deals. The airlines and the board did not comment or immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter.

The bipartisan group of 168 lawmakers led by Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury said flight attendants have been stuck in prolonged contract negotiations for years and urged the board "to use all of the tools at its disposal to encourage the resolution of these negotiations."

Others signing the letter include Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Debbie Dingell, Donald Norcross, Steven Horsford and Mark Pocan.

“Deadlines are critical for negotiations. Airlines have delayed earned improvements by as much as five years while awarding CEOs and other executives,” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA representing over 50,000 at 20 airlines. "Clearly, a credible strike threat is needed to settle these disputes."

Last month, flight attendants and United management were in the a new round of federally-mediated bargaining after two years of negotiations.

Under federal law governing the airline industry, flight attendants cannot strike without permission of the board. The lawmakers noted "there have there been only two releases to strike of airline workers since 2006, the last being Spirit Airlines Pilots in 2010, compared to dozens in the 1980s and 1990s."

Stansbury said in an interview that flight attendants have few options and lawmakers want to see the board allow strikes.

"Basically they're stuck," she said. "Nobody wants to see a strike in the airline industry, which would affect our economy but without the ability of our workers to collectively bargain, basically they are being taken advantage of and exploited by the airline industry."

(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chris Reese and Aurora Ellis)