The American Airlines flight attendants union has changed its tune. They are no longer telling their members that a strike is imminent. In fact, a strike has been the threat that has brought them close to a deal.
American Airlines is increasing its pay offer, and as long as they are doing that – the union recognizes – the federal National Mediation Board will continue to order bargaining rather than release flight attendants to strike.
- The union says that they’re no longer “billions of dollars apart” from the company on the value of a new contract.
- And they’re giving American credit for increasing its offer after Delta gave its (non-union) flight attendants raises. That’s important – because the ‘baseline’ against which the airline’s offer has grown is an older, lower offer – the union is going out of its way to give the company more credit. That’s designed to ratchet down the heat and make it appear as though there’s more progress.
- In fact, the union praises American Airlines for improving on its older 11.2% wage increase offer – even as they turned down a 17% increase for flight attendants while bargaining continued. Now they’re pointing out that the increased offer to 17% also “increased the value of boarding pay.” They’re selling their members on how much the American Airlines offer improved.
As a result of this process, to date, the company has added over one billion dollars in additional money over the life of the agreement beyond the May [11.2% – gl] formal proposals.
- In recent weeks American improved its economic offer further, including “progress on issues such as wage increases above Delta, increases to per diem, out-year wage increases, retro pay, and beating back scheduling concessions.”
It is notable that the union now uses Delta as a comparison point, rather than Southwest’s new contract, or cherry picking items from Southwest and from Delta.
So what’s left to do? The union reports that there’s still differences in negotiations “including the date-of-signing wage increases and a select set of other key issues.”
They’re no longer saying that they are far apart. They want more money. But they’re not even saying they demand full retro pay any longer (though it’s clear there will be a signing bonus of some amount of retro pay, to be revealed).
The union even says that not being released to strike is a good thing!
During this period, the company made enough movement to, in the NMB’s estimation, make more negotiations warranted. As we say, that is both a good thing and a bad thing. It delays our negotiations and our right to strike. On the other hand, it puts hundreds of millions of dollars into our pay and other provisions, improvements that will make a real difference for many Flight Attendants.
And all that bluster about the strike was a tool to negotiate, not something to expect to happen now:
But we also need to be crystal clear that underlying our bargaining is our request to be released into a thirty-day cooling-off period. Make no mistake– all the progress we have made at the bargaining table has been due to the pressure of a potential strike.
Negotiations continue next week in Phoenix, and the union says it is “ready to close the remaining gap,” which is different than demanding that the company meets its terms. They’re compromising to reach a deal. I suspect that reality that the National Mediation Board isn’t going to release them to strike before the election has set in at this point, and since union offers have been re-elected and don’t risk their premium pay, they’re ready to come to a negotiated solution as I’ve written all along to expect.
The outstanding question, though, is having elevated expectations on the part of cabin crew over how much they can expect to earn – whether or not a tentative agreement between American Airlines and flight attendants that falls short of unrealistic promises by union President Julie Hedrick will be able to pass remains an open question.
Asking for a lot of people, but do you have a National Mediation Board member or staffer as a source? I don’t want a name, but a yes/no.
Because I find that bunch frustrating, and your inferences filling a lot in.
“And all that bluster about the strike was a tool to negotiate”
Ummm, yea, obviously that’s exactly what the threat of a strike is for. Do you think they were planning to strike to get their steps in?
They and UA know they need to get a deal done before November. A future administration could be a lot less labor friendly.
I’ll be the first to say I’m no expert on these issues but couldn’t the union have sat a little on the immediate 17% pay offer until it was agreed to in negotiations formally, accepted the offer, given the flight attendants some cash in their pockets today, then upped their demand for pay further in negotiations? Maybe that wouldn’t have been allowed but just a thought I had. Glad to see a strike was avoided. I don’t think either side could afford it.
APFA got its teeth pulled bad. AA has the pliers to prove it. If the FA’s are smart, they should kick the bums out and start a card drive to AFA. APFA has miserably failed the AA FA’s.
Getting the increase in pay as a lump sum instead of taking the 17% while continuing to negotiate will likely result in increased withholdings in comparison. It will eventually work out after filing taxes next year but that money will not be available until then. I used to get unused sick time as a lump sum and the withholding taxes on it were very high because it added on to normal pay.
@ Gary — As I’ve said before, there was never going to be a strike.
I’ve seen better strike calls by Angel Hernandez than I ever saw from the APFA.
Classic union rhetoric failing miserably for the grossly misinformed wearing their lanyards and pins. Suckas!
The NMB clearly deflated APFA and the union is now trying to act like the hero.
AA has dragged this whole thing out and won’t pay retro but rather give a signing bonus that won’t begin to make up for what AA FAs lost.
Meanwhile, DL FAs have paid off the new cars they bought with their first post-covid pay increase.
Once again the union proves whom they are working for. Their own benefit. Their jobs are secure and now was the time to use the hammer. Oh, but then the bargaining members obviously told the union that something has to change and suddenly they are not so far apart.
What a colossal mind job everyone is trying to pull here. AA has to do nothing and will still come out shining like a rose. I would have more compassion for the FA’s if they hadn’t turned this into a passenger’s problem.
My only hope is that once they have a contract, AA starts punishing the bad eggs for all of the rules violations that have been going on. If AA wants this million miler back, they have to regain the reputation of providing service and that reputation will come from passenger reviews and blogs.
The real winner here is the print shop who made those “we are ready” pins, lanyards, bag tags, and catchy little picket signs they’ve been slinging around for the last year or two.
I wish they would strike. Let them eat canned soup for a few weeks to drive the point in about what working in the real world is like.
Also,on the few flight attendants websites where they talk all manner of shit about their passengers…..notice anything in common?
First off – regardless of what the final outcome of any tentative agreement might be, the optics will be that APFA fell short. They will be delivering something less than what was promised.
Two other unions won contracts for their members within the timeframe that APFA has been in “intensive mediation.” Maybe they should have started the process back when AA was flush with cash – prior to AA settling both the pilots contract and gate agents/reservations contract.
Secondly, I am amazed that the 1926 law governing railroads and airlines has not been challenged by any union as unconstitutional/descriminatory as it only applies to this narrow band of commerce.
Port workers/longshoreman can strike, teamster/truck drivers can strike, the UMW and UAW can strike – as can many other industries that are “key” to the economy. Just seems a little heavy-handed that the government is only pointed in this direction and not in all of the others….
Union should go for time and half for time spent on their phones in the galley.
Wouldn’t even need a pay hike.
Chris is a dunce and he knows it join a circus clown.
Back down? I’m not sure what your source told you but you better get a new one. I think they’re a bit confused. Crazy.
So AA flight attendants are not happy with their pay and want more $$. DILLIGAF? Everybody wants more money!
If they are not happy with their salary and / or working conditions there is a simple and effective solution — GTFO! McDonald’s and Burger King are hiring.
When it comes to flight attendants, unless one is extremely well qualified, smart and has excellent people skills — which the vast majority do not — then a monkey with pre-recorded safety announcements could take their place.
AA could easily replace any that went on strike.
I mean get a grip AA. Why are you coming to the table with money? They’re not going to strike.
I celebrate AA FAs as humans but I really dislike their union. If the deal doesn’t include 100% back-pay to what it would have been when the contract was open for negotiation, then all of this was a complete waste of resources. The employees will ultimately be worse off because of the union.
Something approaching full retro pay will be required to get the membership to vote Yes. Anything less than that will be a No vote. Feel free to question the intelligence of voting NO, but it will go down that way.
As an APFA Insider, I call BS. As long as the contract isn’t agreed upon, a strike is possible. Although the Company backed. up in face of an impending strike, backed by 99.7% of flight attendants, it’s still not a done deal. They flight attendants deserve much better than the dregs AA offered. Even their paltry 17% offer left the FA’s 4% behind inflation. And then there are the work consesssions the company demanded. Which will only make for worse service on the planes…YOU and the public need to do more research into the facts before putting out this kid of misinformation.
The Union may be backing down but don’t count on a yes vote from the flight attendants. There’s not enough legacy AA f/as to hold on to APFA sorry excuse for a union. We all know a Dem or R in the WH would never allow a strike BUT AA is required to deliver a contract. If the contract has been expired for 5 years, it can stew a little longer. Full retro or it will be a no vote.
LMAO you tools know nothing !! Nobody backed down.
There is no strike threat and there never was.
There’s no way on God’s Green Earth that Biden, who ultimately has to sign off on a strike, is going to let that happen going into the election.
Keep in mind the membership must ratify a TA with a vote, and any TA that we find unacceptable we WILL be voting NO and sending APFA right back to the table. We aren’t selling ourselves short.
@Gary
Doesn’t a “back down” require them to have withdrawn a claim or assertion? What claim or assertion have they withdrawn? The release states “we are prepared to take all steps necessary to push forward our right to strike”. They have not withdrawn their claim to be prepared to strike.
What terrible journalism again…
@Tim Dunn, it’s not AA that’s dragging out negotiations here.
If APFA are time and time again turning down offers for pay rises, THEY are the ones quite literally dragging things out.
Again, I just want to note how the biggest losers of a contract would be comments section.
There’s no lock out for crAApy employees now then hah!
I am a 43 year AA Flight Attendant. We all talk on the jump seat. No serious retro, signing, whatever you call it, NO GO!! In that, we are one!
An AA flight attendant here. We and our union are NOT BACKING DOWN!! . This is false information. Let’s think reasonably. If the union was backing down, we would probably have a tentative agreement. The union is standing firm and that is why we are still in negotiations. The company is bringing forward little carrots to show the NMB that there has been movement. I personally believe the company already knows it’s top out dollar amount of this contract and is doing everything it can to stall negotiations. They would love to see it go past the November election. Again Gary, your interpretation of what our union sent out is completely wrong. Your horrible journalism is misleading the public. Again, APFA. and our membership is NOT BACKING DOWN!!!
And, this was a notification from our union APFA to its members to keep us updated on negotiations. Nowhere in it does it say that they are backing down. The false information about strike being averted is completely wrong.
A220,
you do have a point but AA could have long ago given its BAFO and stood firm but that is not how negotiations work.
AA is responding to the incompetence of APFA’s negotiating tactics.
AA FAs will pay the price and can walk away based on the unrealistic expectations APFA created which can never be achieved.
Good to hear they are inching closer to a deal. I am curious much the added boarding pay is worth. A 17% increase is definitely unfair, but if the boarding pay is worth another 8% (as it is at other airlines), we are talking about a much better deal.
So let’s summarize:
The anti-F/A anti APFA set thinks it is okay that this group is underpaid for doing the exact same job as cabin crew at Delta, Southwest and now Alaska.
They also find no fault with AA that the company settled with pilot union and gate/reservation union during the time they have been holding “intensive mediation” with APFA
They are also for giving incorrect advice concerning illegally locking out a striking work group (they might want to prep better for their bar exams)
Lastly they cry AA poor while in reality AA operates in the same economic environment as the other major carriers – if there is a cash shortage it rests solely at the feet of USAAir managment
@Reddsledd
Uhhh….they don’t do “exactly the same job” as flight attendants at WN and DL……inflight service is a hell of alot better at those carriers.
I wish I got the amount per hour working as a caregiver as you flight attendants do. You don’t have to work as hard, either. I haven’t Flown American Airlines recently because I have found less expensive flights with other airlines. I might not fly with you again, if your pay increases the amount I have to pay in fare with no increase in services rendered. I think I may stick with Alaska or Delta.
@Ellen so you start working before you actually start getting paid “on the clock” too?
Or are you talking about the zero dollars per hour F/As earn while laying over for flights at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport?
I say let all the airline parties fight over the whole strike thing, especially if they wanna try so hard in acting like some tough punks, which they are not
HON, I DONT KNOW WHERE YOUR GETTING YOUR NEWS?
AA FLIGJT ATTENDANT HERE.
WE WAITED OVER 6 YEARS FOR A CONTRACT WHILE OUR EXECUTIVES YOOK MILLION$. MILLION$ THAT THEY DID NOT DESERVE BASED ON PERFORMANCE.
IF AA FLIGHT ATTENDANTS DO GET BETTER PAY TLRATES THAN SOUTHWEST, FULL RETRO AND EXPENSE MONEY LIKE PILOTS, AA WILL BE SHUT DOWN!
IVE NEVER SEEN THE UNITY LIKE WE HAVE NOW!
AND UNITED WILL FOLLOW.
DELTA FAS JUST SIT BACK AND LET US FIGHT FOR THEM.
BECAUSE WHATEVER WE GET, DELTA WILL HAVE TO MATCH!
UNION YES!
How is backing down getting another billion dollars and retro pay after a threatening looming strike that would shut down US air traffic? Hilarious you really have no idea what you’re talking about. Also people wondering why Flight attendants are so nasty? while telling them they’re monkey waitresses… wonder why? Maybe people over and over saying that while telling them they don’t deserve a raise isn’t the best way to make someone motivated.
@CHRIS
Did you mean Duh!
I have flown Delta many times to Europe from DTW and JFK. Horrible service. They immediately throw out the meals and one round of beverages. Try getting another drink.
Have also flown multiple times on AA from ORD to and from Europe. FAs are pretty consistently friendly and accommodating.
I will choose AA over Delta when I can.
I don’t fly anymore. The only way I’ll fly is a family emergency. Service has gone downhill and everyone thinks they as employees are privileged. If it weren’t for customers, they would be out of a job. Service and quality is what I expect. If I don’t get it, I go elsewhere. I worked in law enforcement for 30 years and provided the best service to the best of my abilities. If you want an under appreciated job, try working on a city police force. You will learn what real abuse is all about.
It’s weird how you kept trumpeting the union’s softer stance as somehow “backing down.” I’d say their threat of the strike made AA blink. So it worked. It’s not some kind of cowardly act on the part of the union. Duh…that’s negotiations.
It’s infuriating that the union has completely failed to stand up and negotiate a fair deal for the flight attendants at American Airlines. Their cowardice is evident as they bow down to the company’s pressure, utterly neglecting the needs of their own members. It’s disgraceful that flight attendants have been without a pay raise since 2017 while pilots have been well taken care of. The morale is down, and working conditions are horrible, yet the union continues to betray its members by not holding out for fair treatment and compensation. This gross negligence by the union is a betrayal, and they should be ashamed for not having the backbone to hold out and demand the fair treatment and compensation the flight attendants deserve. They “Union” should be ashamed.
@ Ron Hass
how much is boarding pay worth? figure 15 to 18 times a month,(each flight, conservatively) of boardings. times 1 hour of pay, times 12 months.
180 -216 Hours of pay. Conservatively!
about 2.5 months of pay a year. (average FA working an 80 hour month)
Pesky unconfirmed news unconfirmed GL strikes again with his rediculous click bait. Misinformation in spades.
The flight attendants are not standing down. If that were the case, then a contract would have been signed months ago! I hope they get every dime they deserve, I’m so tired of hearing people judging a hard-working group that must deal with the pathetic traveling public of America! And for you union haters, Delta doesn’t have a contract. They have no protections, I’ve flown Delta several times, and they are no better than American or United!