Over 200 American Airlines (AA) pilots and flight attendants picketed outside Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on May 1, 2023, after the Allied Pilots Association (APA) authorized a strike right before the busy summer season.
According to CNBC, the motion to strike received overwhelming support from the 1,500 pilots working for the airline. More than 96% of all pilots participated in the vote and 99% of those who voted approved the union’s call to strike and thousands picketed outside some of the most important airports in the country throughout Monday.
The decision for the major demonstration was made in March after AA CEO Robert Isom said the company would implement a pay raise for pilots to match the rival Delta Air Lines. In early March, Delta Air Lines reached an agreement with its pilots for a four-year deal that granted them a 34% pay raise plus other improvements.
When talks of negotiations dragged on, APA announced the vote to authorize a strike. “While our Negotiating Committee reports good progress, we remain steadfast and focused that now is the time to reach an agreement with American Airlines,” said the union on its social media.
While the strike was approved by the union, airline strikes are fairly rare in the U.S. and it would have to undergo a lengthy legal process involving federal mediators. "It would shut down the National Transportation System," Ed Sicher, president of the Allied Pilots Association, told NBC6 as he joined the pilots who picketed Monday at Miami International Airport.
“We’re hoping they’re going to come to the table and look at the win-win we put on to get guys to go to work, to incentivize them flying on days off, not forcing them," Sicher said.
Some of the items the union hopes to bring to the negotiation table include sick accrual and proper pay for equipment. “These kinds of things that American Airlines management just absolutely refuses to budge on," added Sicher.
According to NBC6, an American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement that the company is confident an agreement is within reach. “We understand that a strike authorization vote is one of the important ways pilots express their desire to get a deal done and we respect the message of voting results… We remain focused on completing the handful of matters necessary to reach an agreement our pilots deserve."
