If Ratified, Agreement Will Take Effect May 1

AirTran Airways has reached a tentative agreement on terms of a new two-year flight attendant collective bargaining agreement with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA), the company said in a news release Tuesday.  AirTran Airways has more than 2,200 flight attendants represented by AFA-CWA.

The tentative agreement will go before the airline's flight attendants for a ratification vote over the next 30 days. If ratified by the flight attendants, the collective bargaining agreement would take effect on May 1, 2011.  The tentative agreement calls for increased compensation, improved benefits and preservation of key service and reliability function. Specific terms of the agreement will not be released.  The current collective bargaining agreement became amendable December 1, 2008.

"We are pleased to reach a tentative agreement with our flight attendants," said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We have negotiated a tentative agreement that will reward our flight attendants for their hard work while still allowing the airline to maintain our low-cost structure."

"AirTran Flight Attendants deserve a contract that reflects the contributions we have made to the success of our carrier," said Alison Head, AFA AirTran President. "While AirTran Flight Attendants look forward to the opportunities ahead with Southwest Airlines, we remained committed to negotiating improvements that advance our careers immediately. Over the past five weeks, AirTran Flight Attendants have been picketing across the country, sending a message that we would not rest until we had a new agreement in place. The company responded by coming to the table with responsible proposals."

The tentative agreement will be sent out for membership review and ratification. The results will be counted on April 18.

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