Roughly 28,000 Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) members voted on Thursday to ratify the union’s tentative agreement with American Airlines after years of bargaining.
A Facebook post made by the APFA shortly after the vote ended on Thursday confirmed that 87% of members voted to approve the contract.
A tentative agreement was reached between APFA leadership and American Airlines in July after extensive federal mediation. Voting on whether the agreement should become an official contract was held on APFA’s website starting Aug. 13 and closed at 12 p.m. CDT on Thursday.
“With a 99.47% strike authorization ‘YES’ vote and endless system-wide pickets and protests, we forced management off their rigid ‘industry-standard’ framework to an industry-leading agreement,” union leaders said in a message to members.
“This agreement would not have been possible without the support of our Union Siblings across industries and occupations,” the message continued. “Industry-wide Union solidarity works and is key to fighting for the contract we deserve.”
This comes as the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) voted last month to reject ratifying a tentative agreement with Alaska Airlines. AFA members voted 68% against the agreement, sending union leadership back to the negotiating table.
“It’s an exciting day for American’s nearly 28,000 flight attendants and our entire airline,” said American CEO Robert Isom in a press release. “Reaching an agreement for our flight attendants has been a top priority, and today, we celebrate achieving this important milestone. Both the APFA and company negotiating teams had a shared mission of delivering an agreement our flight attendants have earned, and I greatly appreciate their work and relentless focus.”
What’s in the Contract?
In its online statement, APFA leadership highlighted several items in the contract including:
- Adding $4.2 billion beyond the value of APFA’s current agreement
- Exceeding compensation constraints preferred by management that was comparable to Delta
- Retroactive pay
- Keeping work rules for Trip Trade System/Unsuccessful Bidders List (TTL/UBL) additional trading options, more deadheading options, more reserve flexibility and hotel penalty pay.
Over the next five years, the contract will increase the pay scale of flight attendants by 33% to 36%. The $4.2 billion increases these pay rates, 401(k), per diem, profit sharing, premium, retroactive pay and other items.
It also adds a new boarding pay premium that equals 50% of the hourly rate for all boardings based on published boarding times.
The immediate Date-of-Signing (DOS) scale sees increases of 18% to 20.5%. The 401(k) increases from 5.5% to 9% Per Diem increases by 27% at DOS to $2.85 domestic or $3.40 international – the same as pilots– with increases by $0.05 per year.
The profit sharing percentage increases from 5% to a 10%/20% model – the same as pilots, mechanics, and agents. $514 million is added in retroactive pay, and sit rig pays for sits greater than 2.5 hours – the same as pilots.
Vacation pay increases from 3.5 to 4 hours pay per day for under seven days. Instructor-led recurrent training pay is also doubled to $150 per day.
According to the union, compensation increases take effect on Oct. 1, 2024. The agreement becomes amendable on Oct. 1, 2029.
