American Airlines flight attendants haven’t had a raise since 2019. Their contract became amendable, but negotiations were first delayed by the pandemic and have been slow since. And the value of their wages have been eroded by inflation.

The airline has offered to match the top of the industry – what non-union Delta pays its flight attendants:

• Wages
  
• Boarding pay, which Delta introduced and which no union contract has yet achieved (indeed, it’s not something they ever really wanted until Delta gave it voluntarily)
  
• Profit sharing formula

The union has rejected this, demanding more than the top pay rate of $76 per hour that American is offering as well as retro pay for the years they’ve been without a new contract. Here are current hourly rates, what the union asked for, and what American offered:

Flight attendants voted to authorize a strike. The union made that request to the National Mediation Board, but it was rejected. They asked again, and had a status conference this month. The federal government needs to release them into a 30 day cooling off period prior to any ‘self-help’.

Meanwhile American Airlines has a new proposal. Flight attendants are being offered pay that would have them at the top of the industry, but a number of pay deals are outstanding. They don’t want to be left behind by Delta’s voluntary annual raises, or by new contracts negotiated at United, Southwest, or Alaska.

• So instead of a 5 year deal, American has suggested a 2 year deal – so they could come back to the table for a new contract based on raises any other flight attendant group is able to achieve.

• And they’d be allowed to negotiate even sooner if United gives their flight attendants a better deal. I’ve said for some time that the best hope of a better union contract that American flight attendants have is another union negotiating a better deal first.

In fact, Southwest Airlines has a new deal with its flight attendants – the details of which haven’t been released yet.

American’s proposal would give flight attendants immediate raises. They’ve been waiting for years. In Boston, first and second year flight attendants are eligible for food stamps. And it would let them come back to the table quickly to make sure they aren’t left behind.

The union rejects this approach, since it doesn’t make additional concessions on flight attendant scheduling and doesn’t offer retro pay as a signing bonus.

The National Mediation Board, though, isn’t releasing flight attendants to strike. They’ve been told they have to return to the bargaining table next month. Mediation is scheduled for April 9-11 and April 30 – May 2.

After those sessions flight attendants could ask to strike again. Then, once the National Mediation Board makes a decision, it would be at least 30 days before cabin crew could strike. And the union has previously told members they aren’t likely to engage in a full scale strike (flight attendants can’t afford to be without pay for a prolonged period). Instead, they would choose specific flights each day not to show up to work for, in order to create uncertainty for customers and encourage people to book away from the airline.

With union officers just re-elected, hopefully upcoming negotiations can be successful and give flight attendants a raise to offset the losses they’ve incurred due to inflation – while giving customers the certainty of avoiding a strike.