Flight attendants at American Airlines will stage a demonstration on Wall Street in New York City on Monday afternoon in protest at protracted contract negotiations just as the carrier is holding its annual investor day.
Crew members at the Dallas-based carrier have requested permission for the second time to go on strike due to the lack of progress in pay talks but the independent National Mediation Board which gets to decide whether to authorize a release to strike is holding off on its decision.
In the meantime, however, flight attendants are trying to pile on the pressure on AA’s management to get a deal done by significantly increasing its pay offer from the 11% already offered over the course of a four-year contract.
The latest protest was meant to be secret, but as View From The Wing revealed, flight attendants in the New York area are being encouraged to show up to Wall Street wearing their uniforms to protest outside the New York Stock Exchange.
Flight attendants at American Airlines haven’t received a pay rise since 2019 and while contract negotiations drag on, their pay will remain stagnant despite the rising cost of living.
Additional help that AA could provide, such as a profit-sharing bonus, has been short supply with the carrier only willing to share a 1.1% bonus with flight attendants in 2024.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) is due to meet with company bosses and the National Mediation Board for a status update meeting later this month.
Progress has been made in a number of areas of the contract but pay remains a sticking point with neither side willing to budge. The NMB must, however, be convinced that both sides have exhausted every avenue of negotiations before they potentially release flight attendants to strike.
When the union first requested a release to strike last year, the NMB was quick to reject the request, although the board didn’t provide a reason why.
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