American Airlines flight attendants demonstrate outside the White House in Washington, May 9, 2024.
Drew Angerer | AFP | Getty Images
The trade union that represents American Airlines Flight attendants on Wednesday rejected a proposal from the company for an immediate 17% pay increase.
CEO Robert Isom offered flight attendants an immediate 17% pay raise earlier Wednesday as contract talks continued without an agreement, bringing the possibility of a strike closer.
The airline and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants have struggled to reach a new contract agreement, disagreeing on key issues, such as pay. The hosts have not received contract raises since before the pandemic.
“We have made progress in a number of key areas, but there is still a significant amount of work to do,” Isom said in a video message to the hosts.
The two sides are scheduled to meet with federal mediators next week for a “last-minute” attempt to reach an agreement, the union said, adding that flight attendants have been told to prepare to strike.
Strikes are extremely rare among airline employees. The last time it happened was in 2010 among Spirit Airlines pilots. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, federal mediators will be released, a process that could take several weeks.
“So, in order to get more money now, we have submitted to the APFA a proposal that offers immediate 17% pay increases and a new formula that would increase profit sharing,” Isom said on Wednesday. “This means that we have offered a pay increase to all flight attendants and are not asking your union for anything in return. This is unusual, but these are unusual times.”
Julie Hedrick, the union's national president, said the airline's focus should be on preparing a long-term deal with flight attendants.
“This is not this,” she said.
The union also said Wednesday it had opened a “strike command center” with dedicated phone lines and other resources to answer cabin crew questions.
American Airlines pilots largely closed new job deals last year, while flight attendants at American airlines, united Airlines and Alaska The airlines are still negotiating.
Last month, a bipartisan group of more than 160 House representatives wrote to the National Mediation Board, urging it to help close deals with airlines and flight attendants.
