To put pressure on the airline during salary rise discussions, American Airlines flight attendants unanimously approved union leaders’ request to call for a strike.
According to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, more than 99% of members who recently cast ballots supported giving the union the authority to organize a strike. Picketing was conducted by the union at various airports to support the vote.
Flight attendants haven’t earned raises since 2019, thus the vote, according to union president Julie Hedrick, shows that they are “fired up.” She remarked that American executives “ignore this strike vote at their peril.”
American stated, “We look forward to achieving an agreement that offers our flight attendants genuine and substantial value. We are happy with the progress we’ve achieved in negotiations with the APFA. We recognize that one significant means by which flight attendants communicate their intention to reach a settlement is through a vote to authorize a strike.
A strike is not imminent or even likely as a result of the vote. Federal legislation makes it challenging for airline unions to engage in legal strikes because they need federal mediators’ approval, which is infrequently granted. To prevent or postpone a strike, the president and Congress may also intervene.
The pilots of American ratified a deal earlier this month that will increase the average pay by more than 40% over the course of four years. Given that they have less clout than pilots, who are in short supply, flight attendants are not anticipated to benefit from that kind of gain.
New contracts are also being sought after by other airline unions. On Thursday, Southwest Airlines’ pilots and United Airlines’ flight attendants plan to picket at airports.