American Airlines flight attendants and the Fort Worth-based carrier are filing for federal help from the National Mediation Board to move contract negotiations forward, the parties said Friday.
The 25,000-member Association of Professional Flight Attendants and American Airlines will continue bargaining for a contract while a federal mediator is assigned and scheduled.
Julie Hedrick, national president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said the organization is entering a critical period in bargaining for a new contract.
“We have bargained over all the non-economic sections of the agreement and will soon pass our economic proposals across the table,” Hendrick said in a statement. “Although we have substantive disagreements on many important issues, we have had productive discussions at the bargaining table.”
The two sides have been working on a new contract since 2019, but the pandemic and subsequent travel downturn slowed the process while both sides surveyed the new economic landscape.
In January, hundreds of American Airlines flight attendants picketed at DFW International Airport. It’s one of the most important contract bids for flight attendants in years with the labor market rarely as favorable for workers and airlines struggling to increase flying amid a surge in demand for travel.
American Airlines spokeswoman Sarah Jantz said the carrier jointly filed for mediation to “maintain the positive momentum.”
“We’re really proud of the progress we’ve made in negotiations with the APFA — both the union and company negotiating teams have met regularly and collaboratively over the past few months to reach an agreement that provides real and meaningful value for our flight attendants,” Jantz said in a statement.
This week, Southwest Airlines flight attendants picketed outside of Dallas Love Field, the first picket since the carrier’s December meltdown. Last year, the union representing Southwest flight attendants also asked for federal mediators to step in and help with stalled contract talks.
