9.02.13 – (LAA) – Happy Labor Day

Thank you for standing up and making yourselves heard. And thank you for your unrelenting tenacity.   

We’ve come too far and worked too hard to allow this merger to slip away. And thanks to your continued support, it won’t.

APFA has been leading the way throughout AA’s bankruptcy. Our work group has been especially integral in pushing for this merger. Flight Attendants know better than anyone the downtrodden state American was in leading up to its Chapter 11 filing. We bid farewell to some of our regular passengers as they left for Delta and United while we watched our route structure shrink. Flight Attendants can speak with authority about the need for American to merge in order for our company to be competitive – and we all need to continue talking about it.

Last year, during the darkest days of bankruptcy, APFA examined its options, made a decision, established a strategy, and successfully helped execute a merger with US Airways. Flight Attendants stood shoulder to shoulder to make that happen. Now we have to finish the job. Keep up the pressure. Make some noise. Demand that American Airlines be allowed to compete.

As we celebrate Labor Day, let’s all take a moment to think about the new world of management/labor relations we are living in. Organized labor continues to shrink. With time and hard work we can turn that around, but labor groups need to be creative, nimble, savvy and unified. What APFA has done in this bankruptcy is extraordinary. We pulled up a chair, took a seat at the table and by acting responsibly – and globally – we protected our careers by changing the direction of our Company. And we are almost there.

In the weeks between now and the antitrust trial on November 25th, APFA is going to do everything possible to make the public aware of the realities we face. Watch these hotlines for ways to join the effort.

In Unity,
Laura Glading
APFA President