TWU Local 577, representing 1,700 Flight Attendants working for Allegiant Airlines, ratified a new five-year contract on Monday – locking in immediate wage increases ranging from 20 to 41.2 percent.
The contact was ratified on a decisive vote, with 90 percent of votes in favor and 97 percent of eligible voters casting a ballot.
The contract is the product of negotiations that began in August of 2022 and is TWU Local 577’s second-ever contract. Flight attendants received an average wage increase of 25 percent upon the contract’s ratification, with flight attendants at the top of the wage scale receiving a 41.2 percent wage increase. In addition to the wage increases, the contract includes many other wage enhancements such as improved pay overrides.
“This contract provides critical raises and significant quality-of-life improvements to the hard-working Allegiant flight attendants across the country,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “The increases in this five-year deal are a testament to the TWU Local 577 negotiating team’s efforts and show the rest of the industry what the TWU is doing to provide economic security for our members.”
TWU International Executive Vice President Alex Garcia called this agreement “a game-changer for Allegiant Flight Attendants and sets a new standard for the Flight Attendants at other Low-Cost Carriers like Spirit and Frontier.”
In addition to pay raises, the new contract provides several quality of life improvements for TWU 577 members. One major improvement is the greater “duty rig,” which will increase the amount of time Flight Attendants are paid for being on duty. The contract also contains an improved 401k match, a cap on healthcare cost share increases, and other insurance improvements. In addition to the average 25 percent wage increase upon ratification, all Flight Attendants will receive an hourly pay increase of 3 percent each year, for a combined 41 percent average wage increase over the life of the contract. In addition to wage increases, the Local 577 members will receive a combined $10 million lump sum bonus. Flight Attendants will receive a minimum $1,500 lump sum bonus or a bonus of approximately $1,013 per year of service, whichever is greater.
“I’m proud of our Local 577 negotiating team’s hard work and perseverance over the past year and a half of contract negotiations,” said TWU International Administrative Vice President Mike Mayes. “The improvements made in just our second Flight Attendant contract at Allegiant have set some new benchmarks for other Flight Attendant workgroups to attain, and not just at the LCC’s but the majors too. TWU remains committed to negotiating contracts that improve the lives of Flight Attendants across the industry, not just for our current members.”
“Allegiant Flight Attendants are an essential part of Allegiant’s flight operation, and this contract is evidence of how organized advocacy by TWU Local 577 led to a better deal for all their members,” said TWU Air Division Director Andre Sutton.
Local 577 President Christa Gifford praised the successful contract vote on the strong participation of her membership, the hard work of her negotiating team, and the dedicated team of union representatives in the Allegiant Flight Attendant Bases who assisted in educating the membership on the contract’s many improvements.
“Our new contract marks the beginning of many necessary changes to our members’ pay, benefits, and quality of life,” Gifford said. “As Flight Attendants, we are the face of Allegiant, and we now have a contract that reflects the value of our work. We couldn’t be more excited to step into our new reality as Allegiant Flight Attendants and TWU 577 Members where we feel respected in our profession.”
The previous Allegiant contract became amendable in December of 2022.