Summary
- American Airlines flight attendants union looking for to authorize a strike vote for higher pay and dealing conditions, demanding respect from management.
- Other work groups at American Airlines, including passenger service employees, are also upset and demand higher wages and conditions.
- Pilots at American Airlines have won contract improvements, with pay rates set to match those of Delta and United Airlines.
American Airlines has had several work groups – namely the cabin crew and gate agents – either declare intent or have informationally picketed for higher pay and dealing conditions. Within the case of the flight attendants, the independent union is having a strike authorization vote.
Union board approves strike authorization vote
American Airlines’ flight attendants union, the Association of Skilled Flight Attendants (APFA) had its board authorize on July 17 a strike authorization vote for the Board to call a strike at a future date when legal as per the Railway Labor Act within the event mediated contract negotiations collapse. APFA has 26,000+ members.
As APFA President Julie Hedrick said in a July 18 statement, the contract became amendable in 2019 with no cost-of-living or other quality-of-life improvements since even in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in unruly passengers requiring more contributions from cabin crew to assist American Airlines.
Hedrick also said,
That a strike authorization vote is even being put before our membership should concern American Airlines and people who put money into and fly our airline. It’s time for American Airlines management to indicate Flight Attendants the respect they’re due through appropriate pay and improved working conditions.
The strike results will likely be announced during an all-base picket by the union. Locations and times are below:
Graphic: APFA
Other flight attendant unions will join the APFA members in uniform for mutual support of APFA’s demands. Nevertheless, that is an informational picket only – there is no such thing as a flight attendant strike right now.
Finally American Airlines flight attendants, like with Alaska Airlines, are looking for boarding pay. That is compensation for the work done before the aircraft pulls away from the gate, like preparing the cabin for boarding, and aiding passengers find their seat and stowing their carry-ons to maintain and improve the airlines on-time performance.
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Easy Flying
Other work groups at world’s largest airline upset
Other American Airlines work groups are upset on the airline. As Lynn Koch, a Teamsters Local 104 member who serves on the CWA-IBT Passenger Service Association Bargaining Committee, shared in an August 16 Teamsters statement,
“We’re the bottom paid passenger service and reservation employees amongst our peers within the airline industry. It is way past time we’re paid wages that reflect our status because the world’s largest airline.”
The claim of American Airlines being the world’s largest airline bears out in several dimensions – by aircraft capability, for starters. One may also read an acute history of American Airlines.
Nonetheless, history at American Airlines remains to be being made. Passenger service employees held many pickets across america on August 15. As Kim Barboro, Teamsters Airline Division National Coordinator for Customer Service and Flight Attendants and Co-Chair of the CWA-IBT Passenger Service Association, explained in a Teamsters August 16 statement, the informational pickets across america were in protest of stall tactics.
As Barboro fumigated,
“We’ve been in bargaining for nearly a 12 months, and the employer still hasn’t delivered actionable proposals that can improve job security, safety, wages, or working conditions. This airline accomplished nearly half 1,000,000 flights last quarter, and it wouldn’t have been in a position to do this without these employees.”
Joe Ferreira, Teamsters Airline Division Director, offered his own type of fury, saying,
“This company likes to thank its employees on social media, it needs to start out thanking them on the bargaining table. Enough is enough.”
Pilots voting on improved contract offer
Yet, one American Airlines work group has won contract improvements. Namely, the pilots, where there may be much international demand for skilled business pilots.
Photo: American Airlines
In accordance with the American Airlines pilots’ union Allied Pilots Association (APA) July 27 statement, amongst other improvements to maintain American Airlines competitive with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines…
, American Airlines pay rates will increase to match the United and Delta pay rates starting in the course of the contractual month after their respective snap-up clauses have been accomplished.
That is nine days after the APA President Ed Sicher publicly complained their first Tentative Agreement with American Airlines was “ It appears those improvements were made for the pilot group.
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