United flight attendants protest at Tampa International Airport

United flight attendants picketed Thursday at Tampa International Airport, one of 20 airports across the country where employees are speaking out against the company.

What's happening: The company's flight attendant's union has been in contract negotiations for more than two years. The existing contract was signed in 2016.

• Meanwhile, the airline announced record-setting profits this month.

What they're saying: "I'm sure nobody in 2016 imagined where we would be today," Erin Dougherty, United AFA's local secretary, told Axios.

• "We spend the most time with the customers, so we are a big reason that they have had profits. We've been through COVID with them. And we want a good contract."

Of note: Tampa International Airport only allows protests of up to 25 people at a time, Dougherty told Axios.

The intrigue: United attendants are only paid for the time they're in the air. They want a contract that compensates them for time spent boarding, deplaning, and for time between flights, Dougherty said.

The other side: A United spokesperson told Axios Cleveland that on Wednesday negotiators completed multiple sections of an amended union contract with the Association of Flight Attendants.

"We are hopeful that this progress will provide momentum toward our goal of reaching an industry-leading agreement."