The Role of Frontline Workers in the Airlines Recovery, the Flight Attendants Boss on the Long View This Week
Photo Credit: An Alaska Airlines flight attendant serves snacks during happier times. Alaska Airlines
Skift Take
Sara Nelson only represents one work group, with members at a few U.S. airlines. But she is the most influential labor figure in the airline industry. So that's why people will want to know her thoughts on the recovery.
U.S. airlines will need to shed union jobs no matter how many billions of dollars of government money they receive, Sara Nelson, the leader of the nation's most powerful flight attendant union, said Friday in a video discussion with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali.
Nelson, leader of the Association of Flight Attendants, or AFA, the union representing workers at United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines, was instrumental in shaping the first round of government bailouts, $25 billion in grants to protect worker paychecks through Sept. 30. At the time, airline executives had hoped that might be enough money to bridge the gap until demand returned.
Now, however, it's clear this will not happen. While most ai
