A union of flight attendants for LATAM Airlines subsidiary LAN Express rejected a new contract offer from the Chile-based carrier on Friday, continuing a 10-day-old strike that has affected more than 270,000 passengers, Reuters reported. The 1,000-member Cabin Crew Union of LAN Express said 91% of its members agreed to reject the new offer. “This is a message to the company that we must sit down and talk. We must reach an agreement,” union President Silka Seitz told a news conference. The offer had included more rest time during work rotations, one of the union’s key demands. But it also would have extended benefits to non-unionized workers, a sticking point that had led the union to vote down another contract offer earlier this week. In a statement, LATAM said it regretted the union’s decision and had no option but to look at extending its reduction in flights. “We are truly sorry for the hassles and inconveniences caused for our passengers, who have been the hardest hit,” Claudia Sender, LATAM’s vice president for passengers said.
