American Airlines Flight Attendants Begin Voting For Union Strike Authorization

Summary

• Flight attendants at American Airlines are voting on whether their union should call a strike, as they have been pushing for better pay and schedules for over four years without a raise.
• The strike vote would only indicate that union members support the possibility of a strike if negotiations stall, and there are legal measures that need to be taken before a strike can occur.
• Passengers will not be directly affected by the strike vote or pickets, as only workers not scheduled for a shift can participate in picketing activities.

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Flight attendants at American Airlines began voting on Friday to decide whether their union should call a strike. The development comes after the inflight workers reportedly asked to authorize the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) to call a strike last week.

The Fort Worth-based airline’s flight attendants have been pushing for better pay and schedules. Negotiations began over four years ago without pay being raised for the duration.

“An undue burden”

Flight attendants will have about a month to vote for strike authorization. According to the APFA, voting began on Friday at 10:00 CT and will close on August 29th at 23:59 CT. In a negotiations update to union members, APFA National President Julie Hedrick spoke about the importance of a strike, considering American’s flight attendants have been understaffed since the pandemic.

“American Airlines flight attendants have worked through the toughest time in history, risking our lives working through a pandemic, and being assaulted by passengers, all while not receiving a raise since January of 2019. At the same time, management took advantage of the pandemic and severely cut staffing. Forcing flight attendants to work understaffed places an undue burden on us and our passengers.”

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

Following the vote, the union, representing more than 24,000 flight attendants, will plan for more pickets across the country at American’s hubs. Last April, nine informational pickets took place nationwide and marked the third time since November that flight attendants have protested.

What happens next

A strike would not be impending or confirmed should the vote pass next month, according to NBC DFW. It would only assert that union members would be in favor of the APFA calling a strike if the negotiations take a pause.

In March, the union filed for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board to advance talks of a new contract and ultimately meet an agreement. The Board runs the 1926 Railway Labor Act, which was expanded to airlines in 1936 and was enacted to avoid severe disruptions to the industry, according to NBC DFW. For a strike to occur, several additional legal measures would need to take place due to the law.

Photo: GagliardiPhotography/Shutterstock

As a result of the act, flight attendants are not allowed to protest by refusing to perform work duties or coordinating to call in sick. On July 23rd, the APFA warned its members of the “illegal self-help tactics,” as it could put their jobs at risk and result in the union being fined.

“Under the Railway Labor Act, we cannot engage in “self-help” until the National Mediation Board releases us following a thirty-day cooling-off period,” the union explained. “The National Mediation Board has discretion over whether to grant a release to strike.”

Passengers flying with American will be unaffected by the strike vote itself and the pickets at the airline’s hubs. According to NBC DFW, union rules only permit workers not scheduled for a shift to participate in any picketing activity.

“Fired up and ready”

During the April protests at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, flight attendants called on American’s CEO, Robert Isom, to raise their wages after the carrier reported a profit of more than $800 million.

“We have a path to reach an agreement that involves sending a clear message to the Company that 25,000 Flight Attendants are fired up and ready for a contract,” the APFA concluded. “The threat of a strike, combined with increasing public pressure and the unity of the Flight Attendants, is a proven formula for reaching an agreement.”

Simple Flying contacted American for comment on Friday. A representative could not be immediately reached.

Sources: Association of Professional Flight Attendants, NBC DFW

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