Frequently asked questions

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Top questions

  • If the union were to win an election, the next step would be to begin the process of negotiating a first contract covering GO, AGR, and Ops crewmembers. During the negotiations period, the union cannot force the company to make any improvements to wages, benefits or work rules – even if the company is making improvements for other workgroups. In most cases, pay rates remain unchanged until a first contract is negotiated and ratified, which could take years.

  • No. Typically, negotiations do not start for several months because the union has to select the people who are going to negotiate the contract and to come up with proposals to make to the company.

  • The negotiation of a first contract between a union and airline doesn’t mean employees are guaranteed more money. They could get more, but they could also get less or exactly the same. Negotiations don’t start at current pay rates and move upwards. Everything is up for discussion. Let’s say the union requests higher base pay. During negotiations, the union would likely have to give up other things in a trade-off for more pay because nothing is given away for free. This could mean changes to existing benefits or work rules, for example.

    In our direct relationship, we are faster at improving crewmember pay and our outcomes are better. We’ve worked together to implement a compensation review process that has resulted in pay increases every two years. We have always had and abided by a no furlough policy through our direct relationship. More importantly, whether on pay, benefits or work rules, we are not bogged down by a slow collective bargaining process to address crewmember concerns, and we can continually look for opportunities to keep our culture strong.

  • Nothing moves quickly with a union and no one can predict how long negotiations on a first contract will take, but it is common in the airline industry for the process to take several years before agreement is reached.

  • They can’t. Unions often talk about “job protection” as a benefit of union representation. However, with a union contract, a company is still able to make employment decisions, including terminating employees for such things as poor performance, violation of company rules, and attendance. It happens all the time. What a union contract does provide is a grievance process that ensures that terminations don’t happen without “just cause” – which means that the company must have had a good reason for the termination. But we already make sure that is the case here at JetBlue. Currently, every separation goes through multiple levels of review. We use this process to ensure each decision is fair, logical, legal, and in line with our values. Separating someone is not something we ever do lightly, but having a union contract isn’t going to stop us from doing so when the circumstances require it.

  • No. Federal law—the McCaskill-Bond statute—protects all airline employees’ seniority in mergers, whether they’re unionized or not. On top of that, we have our own seniority integration policy: crewmembers elect their own committee, JetBlue funds independent legal counsel, and we pay all reasonable costs for the process to ensure fairness. Regardless, we do not have plans to engage in any mergers.

  • Yes, there would be limitations. In a union environment, the union wants to be the sole voice for the employees in dealing with management on issues such as pay, benefits, scheduling, and other work rules. As a result, crewmembers’ relationships with their crewleaders would change since their ability to help with these types of issues would be limited.

  • No. A union could not negotiate how fast we can fix GSE when it breaks. We know that equipment issues make your daily work more difficult, and we don’t like them any more than you do. But a union can’t fix our business partners’ supply chain problems, or cause them to work any faster.

  • Giving the union a “chance” would be an incredibly risky choice considering how difficult it is to later go back to the direct relationship. Under National Mediation Board (NMB) rules, the union would be given at least two years before the crewmembers could try to replace or get rid of it. There are a lot of incredibly positive aspects of our current relationship that crewmembers may not truly appreciate until it’s gone such as compensation reviews every two years, an open-door policy with all leaders, and quick action on the topics that are important to crewmembers. The grass is not always greener as you may hear from your peers who have worked with unions in previous jobs.

More on job security

  • No. Since day one, JetBlue has never furloughed a single frontline Airports crewmember. We’re also the only major U.S. airline that’s never declared bankruptcy or merged with another carrier. Our commitment to a non-furlough policy continues today—even through challenges like 9/11, the pandemic, and industry shifts, we’ve always found ways to care for our crewmembers and protect jobs.

  • Whenever business changes require adjustments, we approach every decision guided by our values. In past cases, we’ve offered priority transfers, relocation options, and voluntary opt-out packages that include severance pay and flight benefits, as well as recall rights—ensuring crewmembers are treated with respect and care.

  • A union contract doesn’t guarantee job security. Most contracts in the airline industry include furlough provisions which outline what happens if employees are furloughed, but these provisions don’t guarantee jobs—or even pay—when furloughed. At JetBlue, our job protection comes from collaboration, not negotiation.

  • No, our Blue Sky partnership with United is not a merger and the long-term plan is not for United to buy JetBlue. Our long-term plan is our JetForward strategy, and that’s why we’re putting so much energy and attention into it. The best way to keep JetBlue an independent airline is to get our business profitable again and start producing a financial return to our shareholders (including our crewmembers!).

  • We’ve created multiple ways for crewmembers to raise concerns and be heard, including our open-door policy, Crewmember Appeals Process, Airports Blue Book Supplement (ABBS) Variations Process, and the Airports Values Committee (AVC). Every separation or discipline case goes through several levels of review to ensure fairness, consistency, and alignment with our values.

  • Our 25-year record speaks for itself. Our ability to stay flexible and make quick, caring decisions has allowed us to protect crewmember jobs through every major industry event. We’ve done this without the delays or trade-offs that often come with union contracts—proving that job security is strongest when we work directly, not through a third party.

  • It means we put crewmembers first—always. Our no-furlough commitment reflects our values of caring and integrity. We’ll continue to find thoughtful, fair solutions that protect crewmembers’ livelihoods and preserve the culture we’ve built together.

Union authorization cards

  • It’s a binding legal document that indicates your intention to be represented by a union. It’s not just a survey or a show of interest. It’s a serious commitment and there is no guaranteed process allowing a crewmember to get back a signed A-card once it’s turned over to a union.

  • No, it’s like signing a contract that can lead to an election, union representation and dues.

  • Signed A-cards must be collected from 50% of the designated group of crewmembers (i.e., the entire class or craft).

  • If you sign, your name and contact details go to the union. There are no guarantees about how your info will be used or who will see it. Once you hand it over, you lose control.

  • Probably not. The law does not require the union to return your card. Even if you regret signing, your info might already be used or shared. You can try to withdraw your signature by writing to the union, but it’s not always easy or effective. If your card has been submitted already to the National Mediation Board (NMB), it will not be returned to you. 

  • It’s not simple. You can write to the union and ask to withdraw your card, but there’s no law that requires them to return it or destroy it. 

  • Notify the union in writing (email or letter) that you want to withdraw your card and not have it used in the election process. Here's an example message to send via email or mail:

    Subject: Request to Revoke and Remove My A-Card

    To whom it may concern,

    I am writing to formally revoke and withdraw my authorization for union representation by the IAM. I signed an authorization card (A-card) at [NAME OF] airport, but I no longer support this effort.

    I am requesting that my card be destroyed and not submitted to the National Mediation Board or used in any capacity moving forward. Please confirm that my request has been received.

    Sincerely,
    [Full name]
    [Job title or work location: e.g., BOS airport]
    [Employee ID (optional)]

    NOTE:

    • Send this by email and certified mail, if possible, for tracking.

    • Save all correspondence for your records.

  • If your A-card has already been submitted to the National Mediation Board, here’s what happens:

    • You can still notify the NMB that you want to withdraw your support.

    • The NMB will typically honor a written withdrawal if it’s received before they finish checking the cards and determining if the threshold is met.

    • If the NMB has already finished this process, your A-card may still be counted.

    Remember, signing or withdrawing an A-card is your personal decision.

  • One year.

  • No one—not a coworker, union rep, or supervisor—can legally force you to sign. You might feel pressure, but it’s your choice.

    • Your personal info may not stay private.

    • It’s hard to undo if you change your mind.

    • Might lead to unwelcome solicitation, including home visits and calls

  • No, JetBlue does not share your personal information.

  • Signing a union A-card is a big decision with potential long-lasting effects. There’s no guarantee of privacy, and there’s no law that requires a union to return your card if you change your mind. Take your time, ask questions, and make sure it’s your choice.

  • Take your time. Be sure to fully understand the implications of signing an A-card before you decide if you want to sign or not. You can always direct questions to your supervisor or other Airports leaders, including your GM. If they don’t know the answer offhand, they will work hard to get you an answer quickly.

More on the negotiation process

  • They can’t. In negotiations, wages, benefits and working conditions can be better, worse or remain the same. No one, not the union and not JetBlue, can state in advance what kind of contract will eventually be ratified by the work group or what will be in it.

    Compensation, benefits and work rules are all negotiable items. Often employees are disappointed when they discover what has been negotiated “on their behalf” by a union, because what they value about their terms and conditions of employment might be completely different than the union negotiating team’s goals.

  • No. There is no requirement that the parties start their negotiations from what the crewmembers have currently, and everything is on the table. At the end of the process, the crewmembers could end up with more or less money, better or worse healthcare, more flexible or less flexible work rules, etc. Remember, the nature of negotiation is “give and take.” Nothing you have today would be guaranteed in the future if the union is voted in.

  • No. In a union environment, companies are required to deal exclusively with the employees’ certified union representative on all matters involving wages, hours and working conditions. Our current direct relationship would end if the union was voted in to represent our GO, AGR, and Station Ops crewmembers. JetBlue would not be free to sit down with individual crewmembers or any crewmember committee to discuss changes to wages or benefits. The union would become the representative of all those crewmembers, even those who voted no or who didn’t vote at all.

  • It usually takes years to negotiate a first contract which then must be approved by the work group. During the ratification process for a tentative agreement, each union has their own rules for percentage of employees that must vote for it. If not enough employees vote in favor of the tentative agreement, both sides return to the negotiating table. The union contract that ultimately is ratified applies to everyone, even those who didn’t want it and voted against it. Crewmembers who don’t like the deal can’t opt out.

  • A union can seek to negotiate over a company’s dependability program but that doesn’t mean that the union will get the company to agree to change it - or to include it in the contract at all. There are many examples of unionized airlines whose attendance policy is not part of the union contract, and the company is free to change it as it sees fit. In bargaining, all a union can do is ask for changes it wants. The company is not under any obligation to accept any particular union proposal, especially one that could negatively affect the company’s ability to run its operation.

  • No, this would not happen until a first contract were finalized. The union must negotiate over its role in discipline and scheduling matters, and there is no process to file a grievance over disciplinary actions or scheduling disputes until a final contract is reached and ratified. The company would retain the right to discipline and schedule crewmembers as it sees fit in the meantime.

  • They could, depending on negotiations. The ability for a GO crewmember to pick up AO shifts (or vice versa) would likely be a topic of negotiation, so the outcome of what would happen to to cross-training in a union environment is uncertain and would likely remain unknown until a contract were finalized.

  • No one can say at the beginning of the collective bargaining process what will be in the end product. Typically, part-time programs are included in negotiations, but there would be no guarantee whether they would end up being addressed in a contract.