2026 - May 29
United AFA-CWA
2026 - May 29
JIT Introduction Letter
May 29, 2026
Now that our Flight Attendants have voted to ratify the 2026 – 2031 Flight Attendant Agreement (CBA 2026), we are beginning the work needed to implement the new Contract. As with the JCBA, AFA and the Company will work closely on the Contract implementation, and we will keep you informed as we do so.
The implementation will be overseen by a Joint Implementation Team (JIT) composed of three AFA members and three Company members, who will be supported by subject matter experts from AFA and United. Until a provision of the CBA 2026 is implemented, Flight Attendants will continue operating under the provisions of the current JCBA.
To make sure everyone is as prepared as possible, we will send you advance notification before implementing specific provisions of the CBA 2026. This is the first in a series of communications about the implementation of the new Contract
We will implement the new Contract in phases:
Date of Signing (DOS)
Contract provisions being implemented as of the "Date of Signing" will include adopting new pay rates and most pay factors and overrides. We will also implement provisions from the new Contract for those policies and business processes that are simpler to execute and don't require technology enhancements. These "Date of Signing" changes, which are listed below, will go into effect with the first day of the June bid month (May 31, 2026).
Date of Signing Plus (DOS+)
Some provisions in the CBA 2026 are a bit more complex, requiring moderate technology enhancements and more involved business processes. A number of those items are identified in the Implementation Letter of Agreement with an expected date of implementation. Other items are listed as "To be determined by Joint Implementation Team (JIT)". The JIT will prioritize these DOS+ items after taking into account United's business needs, Flight Attendant priorities and the degree of complexity involved in implementing the various provisions.
We know there will be lots of questions related to CBA 2026. As much as we would love to be able to answer individual questions, that is just not feasible with more than 30,000 Flight Attendants, in addition to members of management. Our commitment is to provide you with regular updates about both the timing of the implementation of items, as well as education about how these items are intended to work. As with the JCBA, we will be creating One United26 guides, which will be jointly authored by the Union and Company members of the JIT and which will provide more detailed explanations about how our Contract is meant to operate. It is important to keep in mind that until a new or revised provision of CBA 2026 is implemented, we will maintain the status quo and continue to operate under the current terms of the JCBA.
Thank you for your support as we implement CBA 2026.
The Joint Implementation Team