Virgin America cabin crew vote to create first union

[DALLAS] Virgin America flight attendants voted to establish the first union at the airline partly owned by UK billionaire Richard Branson, ending its status as the largest US carrier without organised labour.

Collective bargaining with the Transport Workers Union raises the prospect of higher operating costs for the airline, which filed on July 28 for an initial public offering. The carrier reported second-quarter net income of US$37 million on Tuesday after posting its first annual profit in 2013.

The vote follows a decision in April by pilots at JetBlue Airways to join the Air Line Pilots Association, ending that carrier's status as the largest non-union US airline at that time. JetBlue flight attendants also are seeking an election on TWU representation.