Unions for cabin crew, which airlines are unionised and does it matter for a new joiner?
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#1 Some airlines have strong unions, the Gulf has none. As a new joiner, how much does it actually matter day to day?
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#2 US majors (United, American, Alaska, Southwest, Delta's flight attendants are not unionised) and most European legacy carriers are unionised; the contract sets pay scales, rest, reserve rules and gives you representation in disciplinary processes. Day to day you notice it in rest rules and in having someone to call. Gulf carriers: no unions, so enforcement runs through the airline and regulator, document everything, use HR procedures formally, and know the labour courts exist as a final backstop. Both systems work; they just work differently.
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#3 Practical advice for a new joiner at a unionised carrier: join on day one, save the rep's number, and never attend a formal meeting without calling them first.