American Flight Attendant Contract Arbitration Complete

American Flight Attendant Contract Arbitration Complete

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Airline labor relations are fascinating, though I usually don’t chime in on them. That’s simply because I’m not an expert on them, and I also tend to think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as with most things in life.

That being said, in early November I wrote about American’s flight attendants rejecting their new contract. They were the first work group to undergo negotiations for a new joint contract between legacy American and US Airways, so the situation set an interesting precedent. Out of over 8,000 votes, the contract got turned down over just 16 votes, which is crazy.

What also made this vote seem so straightforward is that the proposed contract was worth $193 million in yearly increases, while if the contract went to arbitration it would be capped at $112 million in yearly increases, which even the union acknowledged. I get the contract didn’t include everything flight attendants wanted, but in this case it seemed pretty black and white in terms of the money at stake.

Now, I had a couple of flight attendants email me and explain the “other side.” And they made some valid points. So I’m not at all trying to suggest that the flight attendants were necessarily in the wrong for voting against it.

US-Airways-Plane

That being said, the contract has gone through lightning-fast arbitration, despite them allowing nearly a month for the process. In less than two days the new contract was decided on. Via The Dallas Morning News:

The board rejected the union’s request for “me-too” clauses that guaranteed that APFA members would get profit sharing and better health coverage if other unions secured those items in their own joint contracts. That was two items.

“In both cases the Panel found that the inclusion of these provisions would push the added value of the JCBA beyond the market-based aggregate of $112 million,” the union said in a hotline message to members Saturday evening.

“A majority of the Panel also rejected APFA’s argument that the new wage rates of the JCBA be retroactive to December 2, 2014. It held that starting the pay increases prior to the effective date of the JCBA would result in its value exceeding the $112 million cap,” the union said.

So the new contract is now in place, and the provisions go into effect January 1, 2015. Best I can tell, arbitration ended exactly as expected. The flight attendants got an added value of $112 million, as opposed to the $193 million that was in the original contract.

It’s interesting to see flight attendants’ responses to the situation, both on the union side and the opposition side. Via The Street:

Twenty-nine-year flight attendant Trice Johnson, a leader of the opposition to the tentative agreement and a candidate for Miami base president in upcoming APFA elections, said two days was too short.

“The majority of the flight attendant membership that rejected the TA viewed the less-than-two-days hurried arbitration testimony as reckless and punitive by a union leadership miffed by the fact that they could not sell a flawed tentative agreement to its members,” Johnson said.

American flight attendants have “steadily and voluntarily given back concession after concession for more than a decade,” he said, adding, “The union could have spent the members’ time more wisely by utilizing an appropriate time line (30 full days of testimony) to present a thoughtful and accurate case to the arbitrators.”

A union spokesman responded: “The arbitration parameters were very clear. APFA proved to the company and the arbitrators what a market contract is worth. We then explained how we wanted that value. The contentious issues were the ‘me-toos’ which we debated thoroughly.”

Bottom line

On the plus side, it’s still a pay raise, though not as much so as the flight attendants had hoped.

It seems that the arbitration did play out in just as straightforward of a manner as was promised and expected.

To any flight attendants reading that voted against the contract, is there a silver lining here, or are you not happy?

Conversations (11)
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  1. David Guest

    Save the FAs are there for my safety and yours. In fact in recent events the waitresses have made it worse or prevented pax from making it worse. Perfect example is the rear door being opened after the landing in the Hudson.

    Why do they feel the need to lie to us at times as well? Perfect example was a recent flight from IAH to SAT. The lead waitress had the balls to say...

    Save the FAs are there for my safety and yours. In fact in recent events the waitresses have made it worse or prevented pax from making it worse. Perfect example is the rear door being opened after the landing in the Hudson.

    Why do they feel the need to lie to us at times as well? Perfect example was a recent flight from IAH to SAT. The lead waitress had the balls to say FAA regulations prevented service on a short sector such as that. Of course many of us pointed out to her she was a liar.

    If these wait staff don't like their job, the money and benefits offered for their job, they are free to find another job.

  2. Andre M Guest

    So David, you refer to the Flight Attendants as waitresses, does that make YOU feel better? Their anger might not be taken out on passengers because of, as you put it, "their own stupidity" (or maybe it will be, their call to make)! But at the disrespect shown by passengers who are ingrates and imbeciles, such as yourself!!!

  3. David Guest

    The waitresses got exactly what they deserved. They can make all the "good points" they want, but everyone except them knew there were only two choices. They chose the lower figure.

    Are we really surprised that someone running for an office would complain about the current leadership? No matter who was leading the negotiations the choices were still the same.

    Just don't take your anger "at your own stupidity" out on us customers when you...

    The waitresses got exactly what they deserved. They can make all the "good points" they want, but everyone except them knew there were only two choices. They chose the lower figure.

    Are we really surprised that someone running for an office would complain about the current leadership? No matter who was leading the negotiations the choices were still the same.

    Just don't take your anger "at your own stupidity" out on us customers when you serve us. Now where is my diet coke with a lime?

  4. TheRealBabushka Guest

    What does everyone think? Is it professional for cabin crew to wear union memorabilia in a way that is visible, such as lanyards and pins etc.?

    Is that allowed as part of the standard uniform?

    I've seen some AA cabin crew use them in the past, particularly the ones who look really cocky and think they're giving management the finger.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ TheRealBabushka -- The union lanyards and pins are indeed approved. At least the ones with the union name. Not sure about the ones with the "slogans."

  5. JustSaying Guest

    I think if I had been convinced to vote against the original contract I would search my checkbook and wonder whether or not I wanted to put my trust in the same leadership again........Lucky, your original post nailed it and nothing seems to have changed......I now know that when I'm on a AA flight I'm going to defer from asking any of the flight crew for assistance in negotiating my compensation.........

  6. Wyatt Guest

    I have little to zero sympathy for this work group. They were the first ones to jump in bed with USAir management but did no homework on who the management team was. Now they serve an inferior product and get paid less than others. Awesome.

  7. AJK Member

    I don't think there is a more apt analogy to "cutting of your nose to spite your face."

    "We want more!"

    "OK, how's 193 million?"

    "No, we want more! Let's go to arbitration!"

    ...

    "OK, how's 112 million sound?"

    "Damn."

  8. Brad Guest

    Let's assume everyone was acting in what they considered to be their own best interests, here -- as this is what usually happens in these kinds of negotiations. What was it that the flight attendants opposed to the tentative agreement believed would occur -- that didn't occur? As you said, Lucky, the parameters seemed pretty straight-forward, and yet the outcome is a little heart-breaking.

  9. Brian L. Gold

    I have zero sympathy for any FA in this matter. They went out of their way to undermine the pre-merger management and jumped in bed with Dougie, now it's coming back to bite them.

  10. Bill Guest

    I guess those members who voted "no" showed them . . .? Cutting off nose to spite face?

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The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

David Guest

Save the FAs are there for my safety and yours. In fact in recent events the waitresses have made it worse or prevented pax from making it worse. Perfect example is the rear door being opened after the landing in the Hudson. Why do they feel the need to lie to us at times as well? Perfect example was a recent flight from IAH to SAT. The lead waitress had the balls to say FAA regulations prevented service on a short sector such as that. Of course many of us pointed out to her she was a liar. If these wait staff don't like their job, the money and benefits offered for their job, they are free to find another job.

0
Andre M Guest

So David, you refer to the Flight Attendants as waitresses, does that make YOU feel better? Their anger might not be taken out on passengers because of, as you put it, "their own stupidity" (or maybe it will be, their call to make)! But at the disrespect shown by passengers who are ingrates and imbeciles, such as yourself!!!

0
David Guest

The waitresses got exactly what they deserved. They can make all the "good points" they want, but everyone except them knew there were only two choices. They chose the lower figure. Are we really surprised that someone running for an office would complain about the current leadership? No matter who was leading the negotiations the choices were still the same. Just don't take your anger "at your own stupidity" out on us customers when you serve us. Now where is my diet coke with a lime?

0
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