American Airlines Flight Attendants Prepare for Potential Strike During Holiday Season
American Airlines flight attendants may want to strike, but it won't affect your holiday travels Despite pilots' strike votes, the labor law for airline workers prevents any immediate or possible strikes Two sides remain distant, with a history of airline strikes
The flight attendants union of American Airlines is seeking government approval to initiate a strike within a month. However, there is no need for concern regarding any disruptions to your holiday travel arrangements due to a strike.
Railway Labor Act is applicable to airline employees, in addition to rail workers, and it differs substantially from the labor laws governing other businesses in the United States. Notably, it imposes strict limitations on the ability of airline or railroad personnel to engage in a strike after the expiration of their contract.
Despite not receiving a raise since 2019, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, representing over 23,000 members at American, has not yet overcome the various legal hurdles necessary to proceed with a strike. In the event that federally mediated union negotiations fail to make progress, either the union or company management can request federal mediators to declare an "impasse." Following this declaration, a 30-day cooling off period must occur before the union can go on strike or management can lock out union workers.
The union is arguing that the declaration of an impasse should occur at this time.
In a letter to the federal agency overseeing talks, APFA President Julie Hedrick stated, "The company has taken a strong stance on economic issues, and it is evident that the company's economic framework is ineffective and will not be successful. Without entering a thirty-day cooling-off period, no amount of future negotiations will alter this fact."
American Airlines contended on Monday that talks were not at a standstill and called for negotiations to persist. The airlines released a statement affirming their regular engagement with APFA since negotiations resumed in 2021. They claimed to have presented proposals that uphold their dedication to offering competitive and fair compensation to their team members. Additionally, the airlines mentioned that they have had a leading economic proposal on the table for several months and have made substantial progress on various other matters, including as recently as the previous week. American Airlines expressed their readiness to collaborate further with APFA to achieve an agreement that honors the efforts of their flight attendants.
Two sides remain far apart
, there are further obstacles in the legislation that would probably prevent a strike from commencing right before the end-of-year festivities, even if the union succeeds in persuading the federal mediators to initiate a countdown to strike in 30 days.
The two parties remain in clear disagreement. The union is insisting on an immediate 35% salary increase and retroactive payment, going back to 2019. Additionally, it seeks two more salary hikes of 6% each over the course of the proposed three-year contract.
According to the union, American has proposed an immediate 11% salary increase for its members, along with additional annual raises of 2% over a proposed five-year contract. The company has not provided any comment or response regarding the specifics of its offer.
However, even if the flight attendants are successful in initiating a 30-day countdown towards a potential strike, it is unlikely that a strike will actually occur. The Railway Labor Act (RLA) grants President Joe Biden the authority to intervene at the eleventh hour and require workers to continue working for an additional two-month period known as a "cooling off period." During this time, a presidential panel will collaborate to propose solutions for resolving the deadlock. Despite his previous support for labor during strikes such as the United Auto Workers unions' protest against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, President Biden will not simply stand by and allow the nation's largest airline to be halted just before the Christmas holiday.
If an agreement is not reached between the two parties during the 60-day period, the union may consider going on strike. However, the strike can only proceed if Congress remains neutral and allows it. Nevertheless, it is possible, and highly likely in the case of American Airlines, that Congress would intervene to prevent a strike. This was demonstrated last December when Congress imposed a contract on the disgruntled rail unions in order to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the railroads.
The U.S. Capitol is seen beyond commuter and freight railway tracks in Washington, D.C. on September 14, 2022 as a potential nationwide labor strike looms.
Bryan Olin Dozier/NURPHO/AP
Unlikely that Congress would permit any of the four major carriers to initiate a strike, given the influence of an archaic 96-year-old law. A Congressional hearing was prompted when Southwest experienced a service meltdown during the holiday season, leading to the grounding of over fifty percent of its scheduled flights.
The union and its members are prepared to go on strike if given the opportunity, despite the current situation. Flight attendants have faced several challenges, including receiving no salary increase for years and dealing with an increase in disruptive and sometimes violent passengers. According to AFPA, in August, 99.5% of members voted in favor of strike authorization, with 93% of members participating in the vote.
Furthermore, the union's demands align closely with what other unions have achieved in recent negotiations. For instance, Southwest Airlines' flight attendants were able to secure an immediate 20% raise and retroactive pay. Similarly, American Airlines reached an agreement with the Allied Pilots Association, resulting in an immediate 21% raise and pay increases of over 40% during the four-year duration of the agreement.
A history of airline strikes
There have been airline strikes in the past, but because of the hurdle, they are very rare and generally with relatively small carriers.
In 2010, Spirit Airlines pilots went on strike for a week, although the airline was significantly smaller compared to its current size, accounting for only approximately 1% of domestic air traffic.
The most recent instance of a major airline being affected by a strike occurred 25 years ago when Northwest Airlines pilots went on strike for a duration of two weeks. During that period, Northwest Airlines held the position of the fourth largest airline in the United States. However, it is worth noting that the industry was less consolidated during that time.
The 11 largest US airlines have undergone mergers since 1998, resulting in the formation of today's four major carriers, namely Southwest and American, alongside Delta and United. These four airlines collectively handle approximately 80% of the air traffic in the United States.
It is important to note that strike votes do not necessarily indicate that a union will proceed with a strike.
Strike votes serve as a frequently used strategy during negotiations, often achieving a resounding majority in favor. However, it is worth noting that the majority of negotiations are ultimately resolved without the need for a work stoppage, even after a strike vote has been conducted. Notably, pilots at major airlines such as Delta, United, and Southwest all endorsed strike votes, yet successfully reached contractual agreements that included substantial salary increases without experiencing any deadlock in the negotiations.
