Main: American Flight Attendants Get Tentative Contract

For a very long time now, American Airways administration and the union representing flight attendants have been in contentious negotiations over a brand new contract. There’s now a major replace…
American flight attendants attain tentative contract settlement
The Affiliation of Skilled Flight Attendants (APFA) has as we speak introduced that it has reached a tentative settlement with American administration over a brand new contract, after every week of bargaining. The tentative settlement can be offered to the APFA Board of Administrators and Government Committee for assessment, so particulars aren’t but accessible, however needs to be quickly.
Right here’s how Julie Hedrick, Nationwide President of APFA, describes this progress:
“Our newest contract negotiations have resulted in vital advantages for our Flight Attendants. After years of bargaining and with the help of the Nationwide Mediation Board, we have now reached a protracted overdue settlement with American Airways, which addresses our issues in compensation, work guidelines, and retroactive pay. If authorized, this settlement will put billions of extra {dollars} into compensation and work guidelines for our Flight Attendant workgroup.”
“APFA wish to thank the 28,000 Flight Attendants whose participation on this course of achieved this tentative settlement. Infinite picketing occasions, engagement with the media and the touring public, and a strong 99.47% ‘sure’ strike vote authorization pushed this administration group to a tentative contract that rightfully addresses our scheduling and financial wants. Strikes and the specter of strikes work.”
“We stay up for presenting the tentative settlement to the Board of Administrators and Government Committee. Pending their approval, the 28,000 members of APFA may have the ultimate vote on ratifying this settlement.”
Right here’s to hoping this contract will get ratified
We don’t but know the small print of the brand new contract, although it’s actually encouraging to see {that a} tentative settlement has been reached. Negotiations between administration and the union have been difficult, with the union requesting a number of occasions to be launched from mediation, in order that flight attendants can go on strike.
Whereas pilots at most main US airways received profitable new contracts up to now couple of years, flight attendants are largely nonetheless preventing for brand new contracts. Flight attendants on the main US airways are at totally different ranges of negotiations on the subject of securing a brand new contract.
Except for what’s happening at American, Southwest flight attendants have ratified a brand new contract, Alaska flight attendants have a tentative contract, and United flight attendants are the least far alongside, and are about to start out a strike authorization vote. Delta flight attendants aren’t unionized, however will probably get a proactive pay increase when different airways get pay raises as effectively.
It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see the small print of the brand new contract, as I think about it would affect negotiations at each Alaska and United.
American flight attendants deserve pay raises, and I’m hopeful that that is an settlement that members are pleased with. Understand that simply because there’s a tentative settlement doesn’t imply will probably be authorized, as we’ve seen these sorts of proposals rejected by members a number of occasions at different airways.
Now, how American goes to pay for these wage will increase is a unique story, because the airline is barely being profitable, at the least in comparison with Delta and United. Then once more, the poor efficiency of American administration in recent times isn’t the fault of frontline workers.

Backside line
American flight attendants lastly have a tentative contract settlement, as administration and the union are actually on the identical web page. We don’t but know the small print of the settlement, so I’m curious to study extra. That is encouraging, although not a assure that the membership will truly vote in favor of it. I’ll you’ll want to present an replace once we know the small print of the tentative settlement.
What do you make of American flight attendants having a tentative settlement on a brand new contract?