Alaska Airlines flight attendants rejected a new labor deal that would have come with immediate raises averaging more than 24%, their union said Wednesday, setting both sides up for more talks as a merger with Hawaiian Airlines looms. The union and the company had reached a tentative “record” agreement in June, which included boarding pay, as well as back pay, on top of average pay increases of about 32% over the three-year deal, according to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “There is more work to do,” the union said, adding that it will survey members to “determine key issues and return to the table to address them.” The airline said in a statement: “We remain committed to reaching an agreement that reflects the critical role of our flight attendants and is good for Alaska’s long-term success.” Airline workers across the industry have pushed their employers for pay increases and better working conditions after Covid-19 put a pause on most labor negotiations. Salaries and fuel are airlines’ biggest costs and talks at some carriers had turned contentious before new contracts were approved. Pilots at the major carriers have sealed deals over the past two years, while other airline workers have continued to seek better pay.<br/>
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The Sri Lankan government will wait until after the upcoming presidential election to decide how and when to sell a stake in SriLankan Airlines (UL, Colombo International), according to Colombo's Daily Mail. The election is due to be held on September 21, 2024. The government recently pulled the plug on plans to sell a 51% stake in the state-owned airline after none of the six parties that lodged expressions of interest were deemed suitable. Shortly afterwards, the government said it still wanted to sell the stake but would develop an alternative strategy to do this. The minister responsible for SriLankan Airlines, Nimal Siripala de Silva, has also indicated he wants to restructure the airline but has yet to explain what that would involve. According to ch-aviation PRO airlines, SriLankan Airlines flies to 37 airports in 21 countries with a fleet of 22 aircraft, including seven A320-200s, two A320-200N, four A321-200N, two A330-200s, and seven A330-300s.<br/>