Airline demand has recovered very nicely post-pandemic, as airlines are largely reporting record revenue. This success is a bit of a double-edged sword for airlines, as many airline work groups are also looking for huge raises.
We’ve heard a lot about American’s negotiations with its pilots. American’s CEO has promised a contract that could see pilots earning up to $590K per year, though pilots have nonetheless voted to authorize a strike.
But American is similarly having issues negotiating a new contract with flight attendants, which now has an interesting update.
In this post:
American flight attendant union bargaining update
American Airlines and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) have been in negotiations for a new contract for quite some time.
After years of not getting a new contract, the union is demanding huge pay raises. For example, one proposal demands an immediate 35% pay increase, with 6% annual pay increases in subsequent years. That’s only part of the equation, as flight attendants also want boarding pay, increased pay for working international flights and premium cabins, and more.
The union has now issued a “bargaining update,” which contains some interesting information. The union claims that it’s in the “advanced stages of bargaining.” The union filed mediation on March 3, 2023, and the federal mediators will join the bargaining at the end of June 2023. In the meantime, the union is continuing to negotiate with management.
The union tells members that “we must collectively fight for what we deserve.” While we’re not seeing a strike authorization vote yet, the union warns that this could happen:
We want to advise all Flight Attendants that we will take all steps necessary to reach an agreement, including taking a strike vote if necessary. We have passed our economic proposals to the company, have bargained over all sections of the agreement, and will continue to negotiate on all unresolved open issues. We will keep the pressure on the company and fight for an agreement.
The timing of any strike vote is important. To be considered seriously by management, the National Mediation Board, and the press, a strike vote must be timed for maximum effectiveness. For this reason, any decision to take a strike vote will be considered after we have had a chance to engage in our statutory mediation process.
Keep in mind that even if flight attendants did vote to authorize a strike, they’d need to follow the procedures of the Railway Labor Act, which includes going to the National Mediation Board, in hopes of coming to a resolution. A strike would only (eventually) be permitted if that process fails. Even then it wouldn’t be imminent, as there would first be a 30-day cooling off period before a strike could occur.
It seems highly unlikely that we’ll actually see a strike, and if we do, it will almost certainly be in several months, in late summer at the earliest.
I’m curious about the outcome of these negotiations
Let me start by saying that I think flight attendants work hard while not being paid particularly well. I wouldn’t last a week as a flight attendant, because I’d lose my patience with the traveling public.
Here’s my take on these negotiations:
- I mean, I can’t blame flight attendants for wanting more pay, and for negotiating for as much as money as they can… who doesn’t want a raise?
- The fundamental issue with flight attendant negotiations vs. pilot negotiations is that there’s a pilot shortage, while there seems to be a never-ending pool of people who want to become flight attendants (which airlines always highlight, by claiming that getting hired as a flight attendant is more selective than getting into an Ivy League)
- Even if there’s not a flight attendant shortage, the issue is that all the flight attendants belong to one union, so collectively they have quite a bit of bargaining power
It seems that the US airline industry has now normalized 30-40% pay increases for pilots, and that just is what it is. We haven’t really seen any airline set the same precedent with flight attendants, so we’ll see what happens there. I imagine all airlines are trying to hold out on offering huge raises, because if one airline does it, other airlines will likely have to follow.
Bottom line
American Airlines is currently negotiating a new contract with its flight attendants, which has been going on for quite some time. The two parties are way off in terms of what they’re willing to accept, with flight attendants wanting 50%+ pay raises over the next few years, and management not being willing to offer that much.
The union has now warned flight attendants that a strike authorization vote is on the table. If this does happen, it’ll likely be several months down the road.
We don’t often see strikes, though who knows, maybe this could eventually lead to one. Flight attendants are seeing the huge pay raises that pilots are getting, and understandably want in on the action. Management probably doesn’t view the demands of flight attendants as seriously as those of pilots, given the pilot shortage, and how hard it is to train new pilots.
How do you see these negotiations going between American management and flight attendants?
Their demands are pie in the sky!
More reasonable would be paid time starting when they turn up at their base pre-flight. It should be at a pre-determined time before flight, not hours before nor 10 minutes before. I'm sure there are other conditions I don't know about which could be improved at little or no cost to the airline whilst improving morale and making them feel valued.
Those timeservers with an eye...
Their demands are pie in the sky!
More reasonable would be paid time starting when they turn up at their base pre-flight. It should be at a pre-determined time before flight, not hours before nor 10 minutes before. I'm sure there are other conditions I don't know about which could be improved at little or no cost to the airline whilst improving morale and making them feel valued.
Those timeservers with an eye on the golden exit and sourpusses should be issued a 'shape up or ship out' ultimatum.
Not sure if I read this correctly - but a 13 year FA - is seeking $92/hour? Not sure how many hours per week, but if 40 then that is $191K per year.
Seems high for someone that server drinks and snacks?
Yes - safety of the flight - but doesn't take much training.
Flight attendants never work 40 hour work weeks! We typically work 75 hours a month! It’s ALOT different than a 9/5 job!
I was a f/a/ for 42 years and would still be there but Covid came and co. offered something to us( that they never would have done and never did before) as a one time take it or leave it. Why?? cause they can get rid of senior f/a's and hire 2 for the price of one.
Yes, I loved my last 5-10 years of flying-because I found my niche and was top of...
I was a f/a/ for 42 years and would still be there but Covid came and co. offered something to us( that they never would have done and never did before) as a one time take it or leave it. Why?? cause they can get rid of senior f/a's and hire 2 for the price of one.
Yes, I loved my last 5-10 years of flying-because I found my niche and was top of pay scale.
But this is a job that you must stay for a long time and pay the price before you can see any reward. Company does not care--as you said there is no shortage of people with stars in their eyes ready to do this--but you will have to get the steel in you to do it!
As usual, the company knows that passengers above all else want CHEAP FARES--so everything will revolve around that.
Good luck to all, I mean it--
It's just a very hard business to be in.
I am an American Exec Platinum member and have had consistently positive experiences with virtually all of the flight attendants during my travels, especially if I took the time to reach out and communicate with them. I particularly sympathize with their demand for pay during boarding times, which as we know can be lengthy. How the airlines have been able to get away with that practice, which violates nearly every canon of ethics and creating...
I am an American Exec Platinum member and have had consistently positive experiences with virtually all of the flight attendants during my travels, especially if I took the time to reach out and communicate with them. I particularly sympathize with their demand for pay during boarding times, which as we know can be lengthy. How the airlines have been able to get away with that practice, which violates nearly every canon of ethics and creating a positive working environment, is beyond me. It amounts to forcing FA's to work without any pay. It's also often a pretty intense job of late with passenger conduct diminishing so markedly in the last few years. I also understand that business is business and AA has to report to its shareholders, but there should be plenty of room to better incentivize the flight attendants and the pilots, which could go a long way toward improving our time flying.
I understand the market conditions that work against this but personally I'd much rather see flight attendants getting raises rather than pilots.
Why do I see in a year or two airlines demanding wage concessions otherwise the airlines will march into bankruptcy court and have the court set aside union contracts. In order for air travel to work properly airlines can't fly people around for $99. It doesn't work in the long run.
Despite lip service, it is clear that ALL of AA, UA and WN don't want to spend the money to bring their pilots AND flight attendants up to levels that DL established with its new contract for pilots and pay raises for its flight attendants (who are non-union) including boarding pay - which will heavily impact AA, which like DL, operates many short haul domestic flights.
DL has given profit forecasts to investors that...
Despite lip service, it is clear that ALL of AA, UA and WN don't want to spend the money to bring their pilots AND flight attendants up to levels that DL established with its new contract for pilots and pay raises for its flight attendants (who are non-union) including boarding pay - which will heavily impact AA, which like DL, operates many short haul domestic flights.
DL has given profit forecasts to investors that fully include the current DL labor rates - but no other of the big 4 have. AA, UA and to a lesser extent, WN, will see much of its projected profits disappear if it pays DL-comparable pay rates.
Are you kidding?? Flight attendants 50% pay raise. For what?? To sit on they're ASS .. that's all you get when they level off at 30000 feet... Ass Sitting
whatever you think of FAs, DL was willing to significantly pay its FAs much more - and they aren't unionized. I have had very good service from FAs on all airlines and I have had bad or indifferent service from all airlines.
In general, I believe DL FAs are far more helpful and friendly and less prone to the newsmaking acts that happen at many other airlines.
@Tim Dunn
That's because DL FAs don't have the union mafia to give them above the law immunity.
Can't be an authoritarian on a power trip without powerful weapons.
and yet Delta still has to balance its finances.
For some reason, DL is able to increase its FA's pay including adding US industry-first boarding pay.
Feel free to respond in how DL is able to make the numbers work, threat of unionization or not, while AA UA and WN can't seem to figure out how to.
Even Spirit's FAs managed to get a new contract, though w/o boarding pay.
Mike you are the man. I flew for AA and I’ll tell you, with their attitudes, they deserve about 20.00 per hour. American Airlines is the worst airline in the sky. You’re better off flying spirit
AA has their own union. AA does not belong to AFA but rather APFA. The same with AA pilots.
Like teachers and so many other professions, the great ones deserve massive raises and a good chunk deserve to be fired. FAs don’t want to be evaluated and don’t want a merit-based system. Believe me, if passengers were asked to provide real-time feedback on FAs (like an NPS score) and those evaluations were, over time and with statistically significant data, used to gauge pay increase rather than seniority, the quality of service would improve dramatically....
Like teachers and so many other professions, the great ones deserve massive raises and a good chunk deserve to be fired. FAs don’t want to be evaluated and don’t want a merit-based system. Believe me, if passengers were asked to provide real-time feedback on FAs (like an NPS score) and those evaluations were, over time and with statistically significant data, used to gauge pay increase rather than seniority, the quality of service would improve dramatically.
This, of course, will never happen because unions don’t actually want accountability to be a trade off for increased comp.
Overall, I agree FA should be paid more. However, there needs to be closer supervision of FA behavior and quality of service provided on each flight. Passengers should have a means to escalate service issues while in flight to a supervisor who has the authority to correct issues etc...