Press Releases
Teamster Flight Attendants Demand Fair Contract at Informational Picket
Sun Country Workers Seek Wages, Benefits that Reward Loyalty to Carrier
Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (202) 624-6877 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(MINNEAPOLIS) – Flight attendants at Sun Country Airlines who are represented by Teamsters Local 120 held an informational picket outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to demand a fair contract and better wages.
“Sun Country expanded their fleet and reported record revenue last year,” said Tom Erickson, Teamsters Central Region International Vice President and President of Local 120. “Instead of putting that money back into its workforce, the Board of Directors spent nearly $100 million on stock buybacks. It’s disgraceful that this carrier wants to continue to compensate workers far below the industry standard.”
Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement between the Teamsters and Sun Country Airlines began in December 2019. Talks were paused for 19 months due to the pandemic when many Sun Country flight attendants voluntarily agreed to take leaves of absence to support the company. Teamsters rejected a tentative agreement proposal from the company in May 2023 by 96 percent.
“Since bargaining resumed in 2021 — the same year the company raised more than $200 million for an initial public offering — Sun Country management has refused to be fair or reasonable,” said Chris Riley, a Sun Country Flight Attendant and Member of the Bargaining Committee. “There’s no reason we should be making less than all our peers at comparable airlines — especially when flying is returning to pre-pandemic levels.”
Teamsters Local 120 represents nearly 12,000 members in four states: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Local 120 represents workers at over 300 employers in both the private and public sector. For more information, visit TeamstersLocal120.org/