Sun Country flight attendants to hold informational picket at MSP Wednesday
A Sun Country airplane rolls on the tarmac. (KSTP/file)
Sun Country flight attendants represented by the union Teamsters Local 120 say they plan to hold an informational picket at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to “demand a fair contract and better wages.”
The union said that they plan to highlight how their wages are below industry standards despite record-breaking revenue and a recent expansion of Sun Country’s fleet.
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A news release from the union said that negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement started in Nov. 2014 and was amenable in Dec. 2019.
The union said that bargaining was paused for 19 months due to the pandemic when many attendants voluntarily agreed to take leaves of absence to support the company.
Bargaining then resumed in Oct. 2021, but the union said that Sun Country management has “failed to bring the flight attendants’ contracts up to industry standards” and that Teamsters rejected the tentative agreement proposal from the company in May 2023 by 96%.
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Sun Country flight attendents also held an informational picket in July and fleet service employees unionized at the beginning of last year.
Sun Country shared the following response:
“We appreciate everything our flight attendants do for our passengers and our company every day. We respect their right to conduct an informational picket.
Sun Country is committed to working collaboratively with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 120 under the auspices of the National Mediation Board to reach an agreement that our more than 600 flight attendants will be proud to support and that supports the airline’s continued growth. Sun Country and the IBT held our first mediation session, which is a common tool in the negotiation process, in late December.
It’s important that travelers know that there is no disruption to their flights from today’s informational picket. In addition, today’s action does not mean there will be a strike in the future. Under federal law, there are many steps, including a notification to the public, that would have to happen before a strike, and that is not where we are in the process. Sun Country is confident an agreement can be reached.”
The picket is set to happen from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Terminal 2.