When you book a trip through Delta Air Lines, it doesn’t always mean Delta employees are staffing your flight.
The flight attendants working on board may be paid less than Delta crews — for example, if they work for a contract carrier that operates flights for Delta as Delta Connection.
That’s a point a union representing flight attendants is pushing, as it seeks higher pay and advocates for flight attendants for smaller regional carriers to get the same pay rates as those at major carriers.
Companies across the economy, however, often look to keep a lid on costs by contracting out work, with contractors competing to win work in part by keeping costs down and operating efficiently.
Endeavor Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta, operates flights as one of Delta Connection’s contract carriers. It has more than 1,000 flight attendants, who are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants union. The union is also seeking to organize flight attendants at mainline Delta, who are not represented by a union and are on higher pay scales.
About 30 people including Endeavor flight attendants and pilots demonstrated in front of Delta’s Atlanta headquarters on Thursday afternoon, holding signs that read “No tiers in aviation. Same work, Same pay” and “Delta Disparity Difference.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The flight attendants don’t have a contract expiring and are not threatening any work action.
But their demonstration was part of a broader push in the airline industry and across the labor movement toward a union principle known as “equal pay for equal work,” with the goal of removing what they call “two-tiered” pay systems.
Delta gave 5% raises to some of its own employees this year, including flight attendants.
But flight attendants for Endeavor Air say that also widens the disparity after their 1.5% raises. Endeavor flight attendants, who work on regional jets, have lower pay scales than Delta, different pay structures and don’t get Delta’s famed profit-sharing bonuses.
“Years ago, it used to be a small gap,” said Laura Walker, an Endeavor flight attendant who is Atlanta secretary for the union. “Now it’s a canyon.”
Delta issued a statement Thursday saying: “As these flight attendants are employed by Endeavor and represented by AFA, details related to pay and working conditions should be discussed and addressed between Endeavor and AFA.”
Endeavor in 2022 amended the flight attendants’ contract with improvements, extending through March 2027, according to Delta.
“Delta has a strong track record of providing industry-leading compensation to our people. We similarly expect our partners to provide fair and competitive compensation,” the airline has said.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Tim Kipka, the president of the flight attendants union at Endeavor, said starting pay for Endeavor flight attendants amounts to about $23,000 a year, not including per diem payments. Including per diem pay, Endeavor says the average estimated annual salary for a first-year flight attendant is $27,000.
Kipka said that makes it hard for flight attendants to make ends meet.
He has worked for Endeavor for 20 years, reaching top scale that he said amounts to nearly $42,000 not including per diems. If Delta flight attendants worked the same number of hours at top scale, they would make nearly $72,000, according to his calculations.
“The average passenger doesn’t know that,” he said. “It’d be nice if the value we bring to the Delta brand would be recognized.”
Some flight attendants have second jobs, including Kipka, who said he also works to earn extra money doing deliveries for Instacart.
“I have a wife and two kids I’m trying to support on this,” he said.
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