American Flight Attendants Won’t Strike — Yet
Joe Cortez November 29, 2023
The Dallas Morning News reports the request for a strike by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants has been denied by the National Mediation Board.
American, Flight Attendants Continue Fight on Compensation Package
American flight attendants organized under the APFA originally requested to start the 30-day cooldown period towards a strike in late November 2023, claiming they were hopelessly deadlocked with the Fort Worth-based airline over their contract. The Dallas Morning News reports the flight attendants are asking for a 35% raise upfront with two additional pay increases of 6% over the next two years.
In return, the airline offered the union an initial raise of 11% along with a 2% pay increase each year for two years. American is also offering to pay flight attendants for time during boarding, which would match a move from Delta Air Lines in 2022.
Instead of opening the door for flight attendants to walk off the job, the National Mediation Board ordered both sides to continue negotiating towards a new contract. American and the APFA will meet again December 12 through 14, 2023.
In a statement to the newspaper, American stated they “look forward to continued negotiations with APFA and reaching an agreement our flight attendants have earned.” On the other side, the APFA say they “strongly disagree” with the decision.
“The company has had our economic proposal since March, and has refused to respond to our comprehensive counter proposals since September,” the APFA said in an update to their members. “They have been stonewalling us, offering nothing but a single, rigid economic framework that does not address our current economic needs. This is not negotiations; it is a mockery of our efforts.”
If negotiations continue to stall, the APFA could once again request the 30-day cooldown period towards a strike to begin after the meetings ending December 14.
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A decent wage and benefits are reasonable for what these air warriors have to put up with and still keep a smile on their faces. They contain most of the issues in the cabin so the captains can focus on their jobs instead of dealing with passengers. Some flight attendants have even been injured by unruly passengers. It may raise the cost of airfares some, but let's support those who have a tough job and try to make our flights a little more enjoyable!
Bailouts for airlines and this is what they do with the money? If government money is involved, the government should be dictating how it is spent.