Alaska Airlines, flight attendants reach ‘record’ tentative labor deal

Alaska Airlines flight attendants’ union said Friday that it reached a “record” tentative labor deal with the carrier, ending a drought of new contracts for cabin crews that have clamored for pay raises for years.

The details of the deal, struck under federal mediation, weren’t immediately made public. It will be reviewed by union leadership and then voted on by membership, the Association of Flight Attendants said.

A day earlier, American Airlines flight attendants’ union said talks had broken down for a new contract, and that flight attendants should prepare for a possible strike. However, an American Airlines spokeswoman said the carrier and the union had made “good progress in negotiations this week, adding even more to the industry leading proposal we’ve had on the table for months.”

United Airlines is also negotiating a new contract with its flight attendants’ union.

Strikes in the U.S. airline industry are extremely rare. If a deal cannot be reached, there could be a 30-day cooling off period for the two sides, before a possible strike would start.