Summary
- Flight attendants at American Airlines are voting on whether their union should call a strike, as they’ve been pushing for higher pay and schedules for over 4 years with no raise.
- The strike vote would only indicate that union members support the potential of a strike if negotiations stall, and there are legal measures that have to be taken before a strike can occur.
- Passengers is not going to be directly affected by the strike vote or pickets, as only staff not scheduled for a shift can take part in picketing activities.
Flight attendants at American Airlines began voting on Friday to determine whether their union should call a strike. The event comes after the inflight staff reportedly asked to authorize the Association of Skilled Flight Attendants (APFA) to call a strike last week.
The Fort Value-based airline’s flight attendants have been pushing for higher pay and schedules. Negotiations began over 4 years ago without pay being raised for the duration.
“An undue burden”
Flight attendants may have a couple of month to vote for strike authorization. In accordance with the APFA, voting began on Friday at 10:00 CT and can close on August twenty ninth at 23:59 CT. In a negotiations update to union members, APFA National President Julie Hedrick spoke in regards to the importance of a strike, considering American’s flight attendants have been understaffed because the pandemic.
“American Airlines flight attendants have worked through the hardest time in history, risking our lives working through a pandemic, and being assaulted by passengers, all while not receiving a raise since January of 2019. At the identical time, management took advantage of the pandemic and severely cut staffing. Forcing flight attendants to work understaffed places an undue burden on us and our passengers.”
Photo: Lukas Souza | Easy Flying
Following the vote, the union, representing greater than 24,000 flight attendants, will plan for more pickets across the country at American’s hubs. Last April, nine informational pickets took place nationwide and marked the third time since November that flight attendants have protested.
What happens next
A strike wouldn’t be impending or confirmed should the vote pass next month, based on NBC DFW. It could only assert that union members can be in favor of the APFA calling a strike if the negotiations take a pause.
In March, the union filed for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board to advance talks of a brand new contract and ultimately meet an agreement. The Board runs the 1926 Railway Labor Act, which was expanded to airlines in 1936 and was enacted to avoid severe disruptions to the industry, based on NBC DFW. For a strike to occur, several additional legal measures would want to happen as a consequence of the law.
Photo: GagliardiPhotography/Shutterstock
Because of this of the act, flight attendants usually are not allowed to protest by refusing to perform work duties or coordinating to call in sick. On July twenty third, the APFA warned its members of the “illegal self-help tactics,” because it could put their jobs in danger and end in the union being fined.
the union explained.
Passengers flying with American will likely be unaffected by the strike vote itself and the pickets on the airline’s hubs. In accordance with NBC DFW, union rules only permit staff not scheduled for a shift to take part in any picketing activity.
“Fired up and prepared”
Through the April protests at Dallas Fort Value International Airport, flight attendants called on American’s CEO, Robert Isom, to boost their wages after the carrier reported a profit of greater than $800 million.
the APFA concluded.
Easy Flying contacted American for comment on Friday. A representative couldn’t be immediately reached.