Flight attendants at American Airlines confronted CEO Robert Isom at an employee gathering over their long-simmering grievances on wages and the pace of contract talks.
American’s top executives convene a “state of the airline” meeting each quarter after the airline reports financial results. On Thursday, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) and its president, Julie Hedrick, used the gathering at American’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters to challenge Isom about their wages and profit-sharing payments that lag rivals.
One flight attendant, identified as Lexus Wilson, told the CEO she once had to live with 12 roommates because of her low salary when she was newly hired and based in Boston.
“I respect that, and I hear you,” Isom said in a video the union posted on its Facebook page. ”It’s time to do something about it and it has to be done at the (negotiating) table.” He added: “It’s not going to be an easy solution.”
Isom also acknowledged in the dialogue that American’s profit-sharing payments are smaller than rival Delta Air Lines because it is less profitable than that carrier.
Last week, the union asked the National Mediation Board for a second time to release it from negotiations, which could lead to a strike.
American’s flight attendants are working under a 2014 contract with their last raise in early 2019, according to the APFA. The flight attendants are seeking a 35% pay increase, with 6% annual wage increases in a three-year deal. American has proposed an 11% increase with 2% yearly increases for a five-year contract and no changes to the reserve guarantee, according to the APFA.
The parties are next scheduled to negotiate the week of Feb. 5. “It’s important to know that it’s not as if we’re not trying to do something,” Isom said.
