Flight attendants at JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) have rejected a tentative contract agreement forged between the airline and union leaders, adding an additional layer of uncertainty at a time when the airline is already dealing with a pandemic-related slowdown. The airline's flight attendants voted to unionize in April 2018, and the company and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) have been in talks about a contract. The two sides struck a deal late last month, subject to approval from the union's 5,000 members. Image source: JetBlue. JetBlue said Friday afternoon that the agreement was rejected by union memberships, though it did not disclose the margin of defeat. "We are disappointed in the results of the vote," Ian Deason, JetBlue's head of customer experience, said in a statement. "Both the TWU and JetBlue worked through unprecedented circumstances to reach an agreement that was fair to our inflight crewmembers. We will work with TWU to determine next steps." The rejection is a blow to JetBlue as it attempts to minimize costs to ride out the COVID-19 crisis. Airlines have seen travel demand evaporate due to the pandemic, with JetBlue forecasting fourth-quarter revenue to be down 65% year over year. There is no immediate risk of a strike or a work stoppage. Under the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline union negotiations, the two sides will return to the table for new talks. But given how industry conditions have deteriorated in the two years since the initial union drive, it is far from certain the union will be able to extract better terms in the new round of negotiations. 10 stocks we like better than JetBlue AirwaysWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and JetBlue Airways wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of October 20, 2020 Lou Whiteman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends JetBlue Airways. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source