American Airlines flight attendants are threatening to go on strike right before the Christmas holiday if no “substantial movement” is made on new contract negotiations. This announcement came from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), who revealed that American Airlines negotiators showed up to their last bargaining session with no responses to their comprehensive economic and non-economic packages.
The issue at hand is the retroactive increases in wages. American Airlines stated that any retroactive increases would be costed against the new agreement. This means that flight attendants would not only have been underpaid for years during negotiations but would also have to fund those payments out of their own wages and benefits going forward. The APFA argues that this would be a tremendous burden on flight attendants who have already been struggling financially.
In response to the lack of progress in negotiations, APFA National Officers have scheduled a meeting on November 17 to approve a request for release from the National Mediation Board. If “substantial movement towards concluding these negotiations” is not made, this request would allow American Airlines flight attendants to enter a 30-day cooling-off period, after which they would have the right to go on strike in support of their contract demands.
If no resolution is reached, the strike could begin as early as December 18, just one week before Christmas. The APFA has specifically chosen this date for a reason, likely to apply pressure on American Airlines during the busy holiday travel season.
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This threat of a strike comes after over 93 percent of American Airlines’ 26,000 flight attendants voted in favor of authorizing APFA leadership to call a strike if their demands are not met. The demands include pay raises, industry-leading compensation, improved 401(k) matching, boarding pay, additional holidays, and more. Flight attendants have not received raises since 2019, and they feel that it is time for the company to address their concerns and provide fair compensation.
To further demonstrate their dissatisfaction and garner support, the APFA will be hosting pickets at various airports across the United States on November 16. These pickets will take place in Boston, Charlotte, Washington-Ronald Reagan, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, Orlando, Miami, Chicago-O’Hare, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. The aim of these pickets is to draw attention to the flight attendants’ cause and put pressure on American Airlines to negotiate in good faith.
Luxury Travel Advisor has reached out to American Airlines for comment on this matter but has not received a response as of yet. How the airline responds to these demands and the threat of a strike will greatly impact the travel plans of thousands of passengers during the busy holiday season.
In conclusion, American Airlines flight attendants are prepared to go on strike right before Christmas if no progress is made in contract negotiations. The flight attendants deserve fair compensation and are demanding pay raises, improved benefits, and other concessions. The holiday season is an important time for airlines, and a strike during this period could cause significant disruptions to travel plans. American Airlines will need to address these concerns and negotiate in good faith to avoid a potential strike and ensure a smooth holiday travel season for their customers.
