Flight attendant at American Airlines (EEL) just ratified the collective agreement She won in JulyThanks to the agreement, which was approved by 87% of the vote and negotiated by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents her, her salary will increase by more than a fifth.

“This contract represents an important milestone for our flight attendants as it provides immediate wage increases of up to 20.5%, as well as significant backdated pay for negotiation periods,” Julie Hedrick, the union’s national president, said in a statement. “Among the many improvements, a new seat will be provided to compensate for long periods of sitting between flights, and American Airlines flight attendants are the first unionized labor group to establish boarding pay.”

The last point in particular is a notable development, as flight attendants have complained for years that they are unfairly asked to work for free because their work time often does not technically begin until the doors of their planes close.

“It is an exciting day for American Airlines’ nearly 28,000 flight attendants and for our entire airline,” said Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines. in a statement“Reaching a settlement for our flight attendants was our top priority and today we celebrate reaching this important milestone. Both the APFA and corporate negotiating teams shared a mission to reach a settlement that our flight attendants deserve and I greatly appreciate their work and tireless efforts.”

After Five years of negotiationsAFPA members at American were on the verge of going on strike. 99% in favor to do so. But labor laws for flight attendants differ from those of other labor groups and require government-mediated collective bargaining before work stoppages can take place. On the one hand, this limits the tactics available to these workers. On the other hand, keeps companies at the negotiating table because the government is so reluctant to cause such disruptions to airline operations.

“Special thanks go to National Mediation Board (NMB) member Linda Puchala, Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for their efforts in getting this deal across the finish line,” Hedrick said.