If a deal wasn’t reached between American Airlines and its cabin crew this week, flight attendants said they might go on strike.
The week ended without an agreement, but they were not released from the negotiations.
What happened?
American Airlines and its flight attendants union were in Washington, D.C. this week, for what the Association of Professional Flight Attendants described as “last ditch” talks before a strike.
Leaks from the National Mediation Board suggested that if a deal was not reached by early June, flight attendants would be released to strike.
However the week’s negotiations ended, there is no agreement – and no impasse declared by the National Mediation Board that would trigger a 30-day “cooling-off period”, after which the parties would be allowed to “self-help “.
The union is exposing the state of play, despite the National Mediation Board’s insistence that the parties not discuss what is happening in mediation sessions. There is a gag order in place that appears to be more honored by the union in violation than by compliance.
According to the union, talks began this week in the presence of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su.
The Biden administration has been monitoring the talks throughout the week.
A strike at a major airline has both economic and political significance.
In a close presidential contest, it could even reverse the result.
Union support is critical in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin.
American Airlines operates hubs in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Arizona.
“[W]We have made progress on some important economic issues, but we still disagree on the final key economic areas of the agreement.”
American increased its offer. This means that there is no dead end yet, as the parties are making progress. The union doesn’t even say they are distant. The language here is intentional.
“The NMB will continue mediation next week. We will reach an interim agreement, or the NMB will consider issuing an arbitration proposal and a thirty-day cooling-off period.”
The NMB will obviously evaluate its options at the end of the week. They considered whether to declare a stall, triggering a cooling-off period, as flight attendants requested it in the fall.
It is encouraging that this week progress appears to have been made towards a contract. American Airlines flight attendants need new contract, haven’t seen a raise since January 2019.
However they rejected an immediate 17% increase that would have paid them more while negotiations continued.
The fact that negotiations would start there suggests that American was always going to raise its offer this week anyway.
A strike would be costly for flight attendants, but the benefits of whatever contractual improvements they get will be felt by cabin crews at United and Alaska, who are currently in long-term negotiations.
That’s why the AFA-CWA, which represents United and Alaska flight attendants (but not American’s cabin crew), lent its negotiator Joe Burns to American’s negotiations and lent its strength policy to pave the way for the strike.
Hopefully, an agreement will be reached next week, or at least enough progress will be made for negotiations to continue, so that flight attendants can benefit from a new agreement without the suffering of a strike; so that customers can rely on their booked air travel (any strike would increase fares on other carriers); and so that the company can return to focusing on passenger service.
Source:
No strike yet: American Airlines flight attendants reveal details of DC negotiations
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