No Strike Yet: American Airlines Flight Attendants Reveal Details From D.C. Negotiations – View from the Wing

If a deal wasn’t reached between American Airlines and its cabin crew this week, flight attendants said they were going to be allowed to strike. The week ended without a deal, but they aren’t being released from negotiations. What happened?

• American Airlines and its flight attendants union were in Washington, D.C. this week for what the Association of Professional Flight Attendants described as ‘last ditch’ talks before a strike.
• Leaks from the National Mediation Board suggested that if a deal wasn’t reached by early June, flight attendants would be released to strike.
• However the week’s negotiations ended, there is no deal – and no declared impasse by the National Mediation Board which would start a 30 day ‘cooling off period’ after which the parties would be permitted ‘self-help’.

The union is dishing on the state of play, despite National Mediation Board insistence that the parties not discuss what’s happening in mediation sessions. There’s a gag order in place that seems to be more honored by the union in the breach than by observance. According to the union,

• Talks began this week with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su present. The Biden administration monitored talks throughout the week.

  A strike by a major airline has both economic and political significance. In a close Presidential contest, it could even tip the result. Union support is crucial in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin. American Airlines operates hubs in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Arizona.

• “[W]e made progress on certain important economic items, but are still apart on the final key economic areas of agreement.”

  American increased its offer. That means there isn’t yet an impasse, since the parties are making progress. The union does not say they are far apart, either. Language here is intentional.

• “The NMB will continue mediation next week. We will either reach a tentative agreement, or the NMB will consider issuing a proffer of arbitration and a release into a thirty-day cooling-off period.”

  The NMB will of course consider its options at the end of the week. They have considered whether to declare an impasse, triggering a cooling off period, since flight attendants requested this in the fall.

It’s encouraging that progress towards a contract seems to have been made this week. American Airlines flight attendants need a new contract, not having seen a raise since January 2019.

However they turned down an immediate 17% increase that would have paid them more while negotiations continued. The fact that negotiations would have started from there suggests American was always going to up its offer this week in any case.

A strike would be costly to flight attendants – but the benefits of whatever contract improvements they achieve will be felt by cabin crew at United and Alaska which are currently in protracted negotiations.

That’s why the AFA-CWA, which represents United and Alaska flight attendants (but not cabin crew at American) has lent their negotiator Joe Burns to American’s negotiations and lent their political muscle to pave the way for a walkout.

Hopefully next week a deal will happen, or at least enough progress will be made that negotiations continue – so that flight attendants can benefit from a new agreement without the pain of a strike; so that customers can rely on their booked air travel (any strike would drive up fares on other carriers); and so that the company can return focus to serving passengers.

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