Chief Steward for Teamsters Local 120, Elaine Rishovd, joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the six-year contract negotiation with Sun Country Airlines. Rishovd discussed their timeline of events and what the contract that expired in 2018 has done to the workforce.
Rishovd started her career in aviation working for a small helicopter and airplane operator that closed its doors nearly 30 years ago. She became a Flight Attendant and sought a different career path. Along the way, she became a shop Steward in 2012 for about 5 years before she moved from Minnesota to Florida. There she eventually became Chief Steward, taking part in negotiations with her new union.
Sun Country Airlines has some of the lowest paid workers of all the airlines in America, Rishovd said. Workers are fighting for a livable wage and have been fighting for a new wage standard since 2018. The original contract was written in 2016 and based on 2016 standards, and the 5 years of negotiations have dragged on, including taking time off during 2020 due to the pandemic.
The bargaining unit is fighting for the pay raise they deserve after saving the company nearly $4 million during the pandemic, Rishovd said. The company has posted profit increases over the past two years, and should be able to afford the wages the workers are seeking. The bargaining unit voted with 96 percent support to turn down the company's previous contract offers. Since that contract offer, the two parties met in December where the workers provided a reasonable contract that still provides livable wages for the flight attendants, she said.
Hear more about the flight attendants' contract fight with Sun Country by listening to the show above.