No strike yet: American Airlines flight attendants reveal details from DC negotiations
If an agreement is not reached between American Airlines and its cabin crew this week, flight attendants said they would be allowed to strike. The week ended without a deal, but they are not being released from negotiations. What happened?
- American Airlines and its flight attendant union were in Washington, DC this week for what the Professional Flight Attendants Association 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, the flight attendants would be let go on strike.
- However the week’s negotiations ended, there is no agreement – and no impasse declared by the National Mediation Board, which would begin a 30-day ‘cooling off period’ after which the parties would be allowed to ‘self-help’.
The union is testifying about 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 false order that seems to be honored more by the offending union than by the abiding one. According to the union,
- Talks began this week with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. The Biden administration monitored the talks throughout the week.
A strike by a major airline has economic and political significance. In a close presidential race, it could even swing the outcome. Union support is key in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin. American Airlines operates hubs in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Arizona.
- “[W]have made progress on some important economic points, but are still divided on the final key economic areas of the agreement.”
American increased its offer. This means there is not yet an impasse, as the parties are making progress. The union does not say they are FAR except, or. The language here is intentional.
- “BKK will continue mediation next week. We will either reach a tentative agreement, or NMB will consider issuing an arbitration offer and a release in a thirty-day cooling off period.”
NMB will certainly do it consider her options at the end of the week. They have considered whether to declare a stalemate, triggering a cooling-off period, after flight attendants requested it in the fall.
It is encouraging that progress towards a contract appears to have been made this week. American Airlines flight attendants need a new contract, having not had a raise since January 2019.
However they rejected an immediate 17% increase that would have paid them more as negotiations continued. The fact that negotiations would have started from there suggests that American was always going to raise its offer this week in every moment.
A strike would be costly for flight attendants — but the benefits of any contract improvements they achieve will be felt by cabin crew at United and Alaska, who are currently in protracted negotiations.
That’s why AFA-CWA, which represents United and Alaska flight attendants (but not American’s cabin crew), has lent their negotiator Joe Burns to American’s negotiations and lent their political muscle to pave the way for a leaving.
Hopefully a deal will happen next week, or at least enough progress will be made for negotiations to continue – so flight attendants can benefit from a new deal without the pain of a strike; so that customers can rely on their booked air travel (any strike would raise fares for other carriers); and so that the company can return its focus to passenger service.