Sun Country flight attendants ratify new union contract after five years of negotiation

Minneapolis-based budget carrier Sun Country Airlines and its flight attendants have inked a new collective bargaining agreement, capping a yearslong stalemate.

The five-year agreement, which was approved by members last week, comes after the two sides announced a tentative deal in late January that included higher wages and improved benefits. It was ratified by an “overwhelming” margin of the company’s flight attendants, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a news release.

Elaine Rishovd, a flight attendant with the company for the past 30 years, said, “This is one of the best contracts we have won since I joined Sun Country.

“From getting immediate and long-term raises to better protections for workplace rules, this contract restores our pride in working for this airline,” she said in the union’s statement.

In response to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s request for comment, Sun Country spokeswoman Wendy Burt said the contract improves employment conditions “while ensuring that Sun Country can continue to operate safely and profitably.”

“The improvements in the contract reflect Sun Country’s tremendous appreciation for our flight attendants and all they do to provide our customers with a safe, friendly and hassle-free travel experience,” Burt said in a statement.

Under the contract, flight attendants will see an immediate 21% pay bump and ultimately 58% in wage increases through the life of the contract, according to the Teamsters.

Additional benefits include higher company match for retirement plans, altered work scheduling for holidays and a 14-year shorter window to reach full-scale pay.

Union leaders celebrated the outcome, pointing to a strike threat that came ahead of the deal. Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said the flight attendants “persevered and won big.”

Teamsters Local 120 President Tom Erickson said he is “proud of our members for finishing the fight with a game-changing agreement that sets a new standard at Sun Country.”

Negotiations for the contract covering Sun Country’s flight attendants began in November 2019. Sun Country and the Teamsters agreed to stall negotiations in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic brought air travel to a halt.

Talks resumed in October 2021 but failed to produce an agreement. In 2023, the matter went to the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that helps resolve collective bargaining disputes for railway and airline employees.

Flight attendants rejected an earlier tentative agreement, with 96% voting against that proposal. Last year, flight attendants overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Eligible members supported that action by a 99% margin, according to the Teamsters.

Before the new contract, union officials had said Sun Country flight attendants' wages started at $21.53 an hour. Those with more than 30 years of experience could reach an hourly rate of $53.56, though the top pay scale trailed that of other low-budget carriers, according to the union.

The union did not include updated figures in the news release.

In recent years, Sun Country’s flight attendants have organized informational picket demonstrations outside Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

About 60% of Sun Country’s workforce is represented by organized labor. As of December 2024, Sun Country employed 756 flight attendants, according to public filings. The next biggest unionized group is its 662 pilots. Last month, Sun Country’s approximately 34 dispatchers, represented by the Transport Workers Union, ratified a new contract to increase pay 36% at minimum, according to the union.

The Minneapolis-based budget carrier employs more than 3,100 people. Most of its employees are based in Minnesota.