At a time when the airline industry is slowly emerging from the turmoil of the pandemic, United Airlines and its flight attendants are facing a new, potentially disruptive conflict. On Wednesday, the airline's flight attendants gathered at airports across the country to demonstrate for higher pay and better working conditions. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) union announced the results of a vote in which nearly 100% of participants voted to authorize a strike. This is the first time in nearly two decades that United Airlines flight attendants have voted on such an action. Background to the strike authorization: A fight for fair pay Tensions between United Airlines management and flight attendants are not new, but have reached new heights in recent months. The AFA flight attendants union filed for federal mediation over eight months ago because its members have been working under an amendable contract for nearly three years. The president of the United Chapter of the AFA, Ken Diaz, sharply criticized the company's management in a statement, pointing out that management is giving itself massive pay increases while flight attendants are struggling to pay their basic bills. The overwhelming approval of the flight attendants for the strike authorization is a clear signal that they are ready to fight for fair pay and better working conditions. Union demands: More pay, better conditions The main demands of the AFA in the new collective agreement are varied and include, among others, a double-digit increase in the basic salary, higher wages for working time on the ground, retroactive payment up to the changeable date, flexible