Alaska Air flight attendants ratify labor contract

Alaska Air flight attendants have ratified a new three-year labor contract, a union representing the workers said on Friday. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the union representing the attendants at the Seattle-based carrier, said that 95% of the votes cast supported the new agreement. The ratified agreement would provide attendants with pay increases ranging from 18.6% to 28.3%, boarding pay, 25 months of retroactive pay and two additional raises over the contract's duration, among other benefits, the union said. In August, the workers had rejected a three-year tentative agreement, which was the first to legally bind boarding pay for unionized flight attendants. Alaska welcomed the ratification in a statement. "I'm glad to have them working under a new contract that values their contributions to Alaska," the carrier's CEO Ben Minicucci said.<br/>