A union representing flight attendants for American Airlines informed workers that they should be prepared for a potential strike after several weeks of negotiations failed to yield an agreement.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) announced on Friday that after spending three weeks in contract mediation at the airline’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by two weeks of negotiations at the National Mediation Board offices in Washington, no resolution had been reached.
The union expressed its belief that the board would soon initiate a final mediation effort within the next two weeks, although this has not been confirmed.
According to the APFA, there are unresolved differences in key economic aspects of the deal as well as the airline’s unacceptable demand for scheduling concessions.
If an agreement is not reached, the National Mediation Board will determine whether the union can proceed with a strike.
In a statement, the APFA said, “While these delays are frustrating, we recognize that the company’s ability to delay these negotiations is running out.”
The APFA urged workers to continue showing solidarity by wearing their red “war pins,” red lanyards, and bag tags until an agreement is reached.
The union stated that it is sending out strike handbooks to its members and reminded workers not to engage in any illegal activities that could jeopardize their efforts.
Last month, more than 170 U.S. lawmakers signed a letter urging the National Mediation Board to assist aviation workers in securing contracts. The board’s mandate is to “maintain the flow of interstate commerce in the airline and railway industries,” as stated on its website.
According to the letter, over 100,000 flight attendants are currently undergoing contract negotiations. Reuters reported that this figure includes employees from United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, and American Airlines.
This impasse coincides with the International Air Transport Association’s announcement during a meeting in Dubai on Monday that global inflation is likely to lead to higher airfare prices, as reported by The Associated Press.