American Airlines flight attendants voted to authorize union leaders to call for a strike amid contract negotiations with their carrier, the union announced on Wednesday.
According to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union representing the flight attendants, 99.4 percent of workers voted in favor of giving the union power to authorize the strike if negotiations over pay raises come to a standstill. The union backed up the vote with picketing at several airports.
The strike authorization puts added pressure on American Airlines to agree to flight attendants’ demands for higher salaries and increased benefits. More than 26,000 flight attendants are seeking a one-time 35 percent wage increase, a 9 percent annual raise, and increased benefits in a new contract with the airline.
“Today, we sent a clear message to American Airlines management: We are fired up and ready for a contract. They ignore this strike vote at their peril,” APFA National President Julie Hedrick said in a statement. “Our contributions to the success of American Airlines must be recognized and respected.”
A spokesperson for American Airlines said the results of the strike authorization vote will not prevent the carrier from reaching an agreement.
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in negotiations with the APFA, and we look forward to reaching an agreement that provides our flight attendants with real and meaningful value,” the airline said in a statement.
“We understand that a strike authorization vote is one of the important ways flight attendants express their desire to get a deal done. The results don’t change our commitment or distract us from working expeditiously to reach an agreement.”
The vote does not mean an actual strike is imminent or likely. Federal laws governing airlines require many steps between a strike.
If the company and the union are unable to reach an agreement in federal mediation, APFA could request to be released into a 30-day cooling-off period, after which the attendants would be free to begin a strike. Furthermore, the president and Congress can also get involved to delay or block a strike.
The vote comes after American Airlines pilots also authorized a strike in May as their union negotiated a new contract with the carrier. Last week, American Airlines’ pilots approved a new contract that will raise their pay by 40 percent over four years, or more than $9.6 billion in total pay. Flight attendants are not expected to see that kind of increase, as they have less leverage than pilots, who are in short supply.
American Airlines and its regional partner American Eagle offer nearly 6,700 flights per day to over 350 destinations in more than 60 countries, according to parent company American Airlines Group.
With travel demand showing no signs of cooling off, airlines have been in a rush to staff up, which has bolstered workers to bargain for higher salaries and improved working conditions. Airline industry labor contracts do not expire. Instead, they become open for change or “amendable” at their conclusion.
