American Airlines flight attendants threaten to throw Christmas travel into chaos by protesting airlines’ refusal to improve pay and benefits

The union representing 26,000 American Airlines flight attendants has escalated its threat to strike during the busy holiday season, saying the airline is delaying contract negotiations.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants on Tuesday imposed a Nov. 17 deadline on the AA to “take significant and meaningful steps toward reaching an agreement” on a new deal.

On that date, the APFA board will meet to request a release from the mediation process, triggering a 30-day countdown until the flight attendants could launch their strike – meaning a strike could begin days before Christmas.

‘Time is up. “At last week’s negotiating session, American Airlines negotiators showed up with no response to our comprehensive economic and non-economic packages,” said APFA President Julie Hedrick, a Los Angeles flight attendant.

“Our flight attendants have overwhelmingly authorized a strike, and we will continue the process and prepare for a strike if necessary,” she added.

APFA President Julie Hedrick and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom are seen above

A spokesperson for American Airlines told DailyMail.com in a statement: “We continue to meet regularly with APFA and are confident we will reach an agreement that America’s flight attendants have earned.”

The flight attendants are searching an immediate 33 percent pay increase, plus incremental increases over the next four years that would increase their wages by a total of 50 percent over current levels.

Under the proposal, entry-level flight attendants, who currently earn $30.35 an hour, would get an initial pay increase to $40.37, with more annual increases to come.

The management proposal called for an initial 11 percent pay increase and a 2 percent pay increase over each of the next four years, or a total increase of about 19 percent over five years.

The union is also seeking major concessions on scheduling, vacation and sick leave, retirement benefits and a return to pre-COVID-19 workforce levels.

A union spokesperson told DailyMail.com that flight attendants deserve the improved compensation package, especially in light of the increase in shocking incidents of unruly and abusive passengers.

‘The track has completely changed, 100 percent changed. Flight attendants are attacked every week,” said the spokesman, Paul Hartshorn Jr.

‘Stewardesses fly longer days with less rest. They are flying more flights per day and their duty days, the time they have to be on duty all day, have also increased,” the person said.

In August, 99.47 percent of participating flight attendants voted in favor of a strike.

The union currently works under a contract that was agreed almost a decade ago, in 2014.

In August, 99.47 percent of participating flight attendants voted in favor of a strike

The union currently works under a contract that was agreed almost a decade ago, in 2014

Flight attendants are covered by the federal Railroad Labor Act, which means their contracts do not expire until a new agreement is reached, although they are subject to change.

The law also sets strict guidelines around strikes and places government-mediated contract negotiations in an effort to preserve workers’ rights while preventing disruptions to critical infrastructure.

The AA flight attendants’ contract was amended in 2019, and after pandemic delays, the union filed for mediation in March and talks began in June.

The union says management had no response to its proposals at the most recent mediation session last week, and instead spent the session arguing that any retroactive wage increases should be deducted from future wage increases.

“Needless to say, your committee has firmly rejected this approach and what can only be described as delaying tactics,” the union bargaining committee said in a message to members.

“The ball is firmly in management’s court,” the committee added. “If they don’t have a proposal, we have a deadline, and failure to meet that deadline will result in a request for release.”

The union calls on all members to occupy airports on November 16 to raise awareness before the important deadline

The union says that if AA “fails to take substantial steps toward concluding these negotiations,” APFA’s Board of Directors will meet on November 17.

The sole purpose of that meeting would be to approve a request that National Mediation Board members exempt APFA and American Airlines from mediation.

Under the Railway Labor Act, only the National Mediation Council can release parties from mediation.

If the National Mediation Board agreed to the release, a 30-day cooling-off period would come into effect, after which the flight attendants could launch their strike.

The union calls on all members to occupy airports on November 16 to raise awareness before the important deadline.