American Airlines flight attendants are asking federal officials for the right to strike, possibly before the end of the Christmas and New Year’s travel rush, but American said there was “no possibility” of a walkout over the holidays.
Leaders of the flight attendants’ union say they are frustrated by the lack of progress in negotiations over a new contract for workers, who have not seen a pay rise since 2019.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants petitioned the National Mediation Board on Monday to declare negotiations deadlocked and give the union permission to strike after a 30-day “cooling-off” period.
Meanwhile, Southwest pilots opened a “strike centre” in Dallas this week. Officials with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association say they too will ask for the right to strike if they don’t reach a contract agreement with the airline in the next few days.
A digital clock on the wall of the pilots’ union headquarters is ticking down to a possible strike on 29 December.
But it is far from certain that either union will strike. Federal law makes it very difficult for airline workers to walk off the job or for airlines to lock out workers.
Strikes and lockouts are legal only if federal mediators take the rare step of declaring that negotiations are at an impasse and that either side can resort to “self-help”. Even then, the president or Congress can block a strike that could damage the economy.
The last strike by a US airline union took place in 2010, involving pilots at Spirit Airlines.
American disputed the flight attendants’ union’s claim that negotiations were at an impasse. In a statement, the airline said it has offered the union an “industry-leading economic proposal” for months and that progress continues on other contract issues.
The Fort Worth-based airline said it was prepared to continue working with the union and the National Mediation Board to reach an agreement.
American added that there was “no possibility” of a strike over the Thanksgiving or December holidays.
The flight attendants’ union is asking American for an immediate 35% raise, followed by 6% annual increases over a three-year contract. American is offering 11% up front, but says it’s 18%, including higher pay while passengers are on the plane, followed by annual increases of 2%. The union also wants higher 401(k) contributions and more rest time.
American’s pilots recently won raises of more than 40% over four years.
“We definitely don’t feel there’s any equity here,” said Erik Harris, secretary-treasurer of the flight attendants’ union. “How come the pilots got their deal and we didn’t?”
Because of pattern bargaining, Southwest pilots are likely to end up with raises like those approved for American Airlines pilots. The Southwest union is asking for slightly higher pay than Boeing 737 pilots at other airlines, arguing that Southwest uses its planes – and pilots – longer per day on average.
A major sticking point at Southwest is pilot scheduling. The union wants Southwest to pay pilots a premium for flying flights that are not crewed, rather than staffing those flights with pilots who are in reserve or on standby.
The Southwest pilots union has already tried and failed once this year to get permission to strike. The union asked federal officials in June to release the group from mediation, but mediators refused. Another bargaining session is scheduled for the last week of November, but none after that.
“Nobody here wants to strike,” said Tom Nekouei, the union’s second vice president, “but we either need an agreement by the 30th or we have to go down this road.”
Dallas-based Southwest issued a statement saying that negotiations were continuing and that it would work for a contract “that rewards our pilots and makes them competitive in the industry”.
Leaders of both the American Flight Attendants and Southwest pilots say they are encouraged by progress made by other unions this year.
The United Auto Workers won rich new contracts after a six-week strike, and film and TV writers and actors won better pay for streaming content and other concessions after strikes that crippled Hollywood for months. The Teamsters won big pay rises for more than 300,000 United Parcel Service workers by threatening to strike. Union organising is on the rise.
On Thursday, several dozen American Airlines flight attendants picketed along a thoroughfare outside the company’s headquarters in Texas, some carrying signs that read ‘Ready to strike’. Drivers in everything from limousines to gravel trucks honked in support.
“This gives me hope,” said Harris, the union official, “but when you see what’s happening out there in labour around the world, it gives us all hope.”
