American Airlines flight attendants could go on strike pending the results of labor negotiations with the world’s largest carrier.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents more than 26,000 American Airlines workers, unanimously voted on Wednesday to authorize a strike.
In total, 99.47% of APFA members voted in favor of strike authorization, with 93% of eligible flight attendants participating, according to an APFA press release.
The move could lead to a nationwide flight attendant work stoppage at the Fort Worth-based carrier if the company does not cede to demands for pay increases and quality-of-life improvements.
APFA National President Julie Hedrick claimed the vote is a clear message from flight attendants to management at American Airlines.
“American Airlines Flight Attendants have sent a clear message to the company: We are ready for significant improvements to compensation, onboard staffing, retirement, and scheduling flexibilities, and we are willing to do what it takes to secure those improvements,” said Hedrick in a statement to The Dallas Express.
A certain number of flight attendants are legally required to be on commercial aircraft based on the number of passengers being transported, per federal law.
By voting to approve strike authorization, the APFA completed a necessary step toward declaring a work stoppage, as outlined by Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act.
However, before flight attendants can strike, the union must file a request to strike with the National Mediation Board and wait out a mandatory 30-day “cooling off” period, CBS News reported.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, American Airlines has had ongoing labor disputes with its unions. Negotiations with the APFA have been going on for four years.
Despite the potential strike and consequent disruption to air travel, American Airlines has said it remains committed to reaching an agreement.
“We understand that a strike authorization vote is one of the important ways flight attendants express their desire to get a deal done,” the carrier said in a statement, according to CBS News. “The results don’t change our commitment or distract us from working expeditiously to reach an agreement.”
Earlier this month, American Airlines pilots approved a new contract with an immediate 21% raise and a cumulative 46% compensation increase over the four years of the deal, as covered by The Dallas Express. It was the biggest deal ever negotiated by a U.S. carrier, totaling $9.6 billion.