PHOENIX — American Airlines flight attendants represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) are preparing for a potential strike.
On Wednesday, APFA announced the results of members’ vote to authorize a strike if American Airlines refuses to agree to reasonable contract terms.
APFA said more than 99% of Flight Attendants voted yes to authorize a strike, with 93% of eligible Flight Attendants participating in the vote.
“Flight Attendants are sending a clear message to American Airlines management: Flight Attendants are fired up and ready for a contract. They ignore this strike vote at their peril," said APFA National President of APFA and Flight Attendant Julie Hedrick. “Our contributions to the success of American Airlines must be respected.”
The vote results do not trigger a strike immediately but give the union the green light to call a strike in the future.
If a strike were to happen, it could mean seeing more flight cancellations and fewer flights across the country as we head into the busy holiday travel season.
APFA said in a press release that contract negotiations so far with American Airlines have not produced a contract that includes the improvements to pay, onboard staffing, and quality of life their flight attendants feel they need to see.
American Airlines flight attendant and APFA regional representative for PHX/ORD Robyn Walters told ABC15 she and her colleagues are anxiously awaiting the strike authorization results.
Walters said she feels there's been a disconnect between management and flight attendants.
"Everyone that is forward customer facing has contributed to the success of this airline and should be appropriately compensated," Walters said. "As a single mom with two kids, you know, costs rise every single year and making the same wages that we made four years ago is becoming very difficult at the state that we are now, as you said, with inflation and the cost of things here in Arizona, and I know that other flight attendants are feeling that across the United States as well."
According to APFA, the flight attendant contract at American Airlines became amendable in 2019.
"APFA has passed proposals on every section of its collective bargaining agreement," APFA said in a press release. "Further, the union has invoked the services of the National Mediation Board by filing for federal mediation, a necessary step to reach an agreement as outlined by Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act."
After the APFA Board of Directors authorized a strike authorization vote of the membership, more than 26,000 American Airlines flight attendants began voting for strike authorization on July 28.
If the parties cannot reach an agreement in federal mediation, the union could request the be released into a 30-day "cooling-off period," after which their American Airlines flight attendants would be free to strike the company.
“Labor Day should take on a whole new meaning for American Airlines management this year,” said National President of APFA Julie Hedrick. “It’s long past time for significant increases in compensation and improvements to our working conditions. We are ready to bring these negotiations to a close, or we may be ready to strike.”
American Airlines recently reported a more than $1.3 billion profit for the second quarter this year, boosted by strong ticket sales and a huge drop in the price of jet fuel.
The airline ended up raising its profit expectations for this year.
ABC15 reached out to American Airlines for a comment on the ongoing flight attendant contract negotiations, to which a representative responded:
"We look forward to reaching an agreement with APFA quickly so that American’s flight attendants can benefit from a contract that provides them with real and meaningful value. We continue to meet regularly and appreciate the National Mediation Board’s recent support as both American and APFA work to reach an agreement our flight attendants deserve."
American Airlines also reached an agreement with its pilots just last week.
The pilots' union ratified a new four-year agreement with the airline company.
American Airlines flight attendants will picket in 12 cities across the US on Wednesday, including in Tempe at the IAM Sky Harbor Lodge 2559 at 11 a.m.
