- Kelese Richardson, a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, has dedicated 18 years to her job.
- While she loves her work, she is dissatisfied with the pay, as a significant portion of her time is unpaid.
- For the past nine years, Kelese and other union members have been advocating for improved pay and working conditions.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelese Richardson, the local vice president for Alaska AFA LAX and an Alaska Airlines flight attendant. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Since a young age, I’ve aspired to be a flight attendant.
I was inspired by my aunt, who worked as a flight attendant during the glamorous era of Pan Am and Trans World Airlines. The job flexibility and the opportunity to travel fascinated me.
Now, after 18 years with Alaska Airlines, I still enjoy being a flight attendant, but I am dissatisfied with our pay and treatment.
Flight attendant wages vary from person to person. When starting, some may earn $25,000 annually. Unlike a salaried position, we are paid based on hours worked. To qualify for benefits in the following year, we must work 480 hours. Otherwise, we are left with COBRA coverage. On average, I work between 80 and 90 hours per month.
For most employees working a 40-hour week, 480 hours may not seem excessive. However, as flight attendants, we perform numerous unpaid tasks. These include airport check-ins, early plane boarding, assisting with passenger boarding and disembarking, and waiting at the airport between flights.
Our wages only start once the airplane door is closed, so all the time spent on these tasks adds up to unpaid labor. I estimate working an additional 480 hours per year without pay.
This cumulative time makes it challenging for me to pursue my passion. Alaska Airlines does not have bases in affordable cities, forcing me to join the 40% of attendants who commute.
When I say “commute,” it means flying from Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles for my scheduled shifts. The day before my shift, I spend hours traveling to Los Angeles, including a flight, and finally reaching my “crash pad” outside LAX. Of course, this time is also unpaid, but living in Los Angeles is unaffordable for me.
It would be much easier if I didn’t have to commute, but I continue to do so because I love my job.
However, commuting is not the only challenge; being a flight attendant requires wearing many hats. On board, we play roles as babysitters, therapists, firefighters, bartenders, cooks, and security guards. Unfortunately, this hard work often goes unnoticed by management, treating us as mere numbers.
Despite our dedication, contract negotiations have stagnated for about nine years, with some interruptions due to the pandemic.
We are not making unreasonable demands. Union members simply want to be compensated for the unpaid labor performed before flights, and we need higher baseline wages to sustain our living costs.
Being a flight attendant is not just a career choice; it’s a lifestyle. Every day is unique, and my fellow crew members have become like family. We rely on each other.
Passengers can show support by offering kind words, and those with more influence, such as frequent fliers, can contact our management to express their support for flight attendants.
We stand in solidarity with other workers, such as UPS drivers, writers and actors, hotel and auto workers. We have earned recognition for our exceptional service and deserve sustainable job conditions.
A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines mentioned that AFA’s proposals included cost increases that were not economically feasible.
“The majority of our frontline employees are represented by a union, and our union partners contribute to our company’s strength,” stated the spokesperson in a message to Insider. We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement on a new contract that compensates flight attendants adequately while ensuring the company’s business model remains sustainable through productivity emphasis.”
The spokesperson also mentioned that meetings with AFA are scheduled through November 2023.
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