(Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV)' flight attendants on Wednesday voted in favor of a new contract with an immediate 22% pay raise, the union representing the employees and the carrier said on Wednesday.
Nearly 20,000 flight attendants at the airline voted in favor of a new collective bargaining agreement, the Transport Workers Union's local chapter 556 said.
Of the nearly 93% of eligible voters, 81% voted in support of the contract which will give them an immediate 22% pay raise this year and 3% per year raises till May 2028.
The new contract comes after the airline's two previous attempts to secure a deal with the union.
Southwest has ratified contracts with eleven union-represented worker groups since October 2022, including a deal with its pilots earlier this year which will offer a near 50% pay raise over a five-year period.
Flight attendants at rival American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) and United Airlines are also negotiating with the carriers for better pay and benefits, including pay for their time during boarding and on the ground.