5.20.24 – Negotiations Update #54: Bargaining Moves To Washington, D.C.

Monday, May 20, 2024

Negotiations Update #54

This week, your negotiating committee heads to Washington, D.C., for intensive mediation in the offices of the National Mediation Board. The mediation sessions take place Thursday and Friday of this week and Tuesday to Friday next week. This follows three weeks of bargaining in DFW.

Here, we will provide an update on where we are and what we are fighting for as we head into intensive mediation.

The company refused to budge off a top rate of $76 per hour plus boarding pay and other improvements for over a year. APFA started with an aggressive economic proposal, but we have been crystal clear that simply offering us the non-union Delta rates would not work.

On May 1, 2024, American Airlines management finally gave us another comprehensive proposal. The Company increased its economic offer by 5% to match Delta. To recap the major features of the Company’s proposal, they have included:

• a 17% percent increase on the date of signing.
• Boarding pay.
• 401K from 5.5% total contribution to 9%, and
• profit sharing on the same formula as the pilots.

The company’s proposal:

• Does not include an increase in per diem.
• Does not include retro pay.
• Includes scheduling concessions the union has made clear are unacceptable.
• Does not address many other concerns of the union.

After the Company gave its counterproposal, APFA passed a counterproposal that included many other provisions of our prior proposals. Our counter proposal included a 28% increase at date of signing, boarding pay, and per diem increases, as well as other economic proposals previously reported. Our combined pay and boarding pay proposal places our core economics higher than the Southwest deal, and above Delta’s current imposed work rules. When comparing total compensation to other carriers, boarding pay is included in the total compensation of the deals. As a reminder, Southwest FAs are not paid for boarding.

Boarding pay is an important component of this deal. For years, Flight Attendants have raised our voices that not being paid for all hours worked is a major injustice. One of the most stressful parts of the flight experience is during the boarding process, yet we are not paid for this work.

Securing boarding pay is an important step in addressing this historic inequity. Under threat of a union campaign by AFA, Delta Air Lines instituted boarding pay. We know from long experience that getting pay protections and rigs, in the long run, is essential. That is why we will not and cannot pass up on this opportunity to secure protections.

Over the next two weeks, we will be engaged in intensive negotiations. The Company must increase its offer and address our key concerns to reach a deal. Your negotiating committee is prepared to do the hard work to prioritize our issues and bring home the contract we deserve.

We will provide an update after the conclusion of those two weeks of negotiations. Stay strong….

Continue to wear your red WAR pin, red lanyard, and bag tags until we secure the contract we’ve earned.

In Solidarity,