American Flight Attendants Are on Strike Throughout the United States

A group of American Airlines flight attendants have walked off the job at Dallas Fort-Worth international airport. Flight attendants are demanding a better contract, better working conditions, and improved pay.

Informational picketing

Just a few weeks before one of the busiest holidays of the year, more than 100 flight attendants at DFW joined 11 other rallies against their employer. They wanted to raise awareness of how much they’re being paid, get better scheduling and working conditions, and receive minor raises.

Flight attendants carry signs that read, “We are ready” and “Tired of delays?” We’ve got you covered.

“In the last year, you’ve heard a lot of flight attendants asking, ‘Are we going to get a good raise? We’re tired, we’re exhausted.’”

Years against a new deal

The last time American Airlines Flight Attendants negotiated a new contract was before the pandemic. Hendrick pointed out that the airline has always pretended that revenue and passenger demand have never been stronger, but salaries remain unchanged.

It’s true, according to the Union, the cost of living has increased much faster than wages and that this affects the people of Europe.

“We have to put an end to the culture of silence that’s been pervasive in our workplace” said Jeff Reisberg, a Flight Attendant at American Airlines. “It can’t be allowed to continue anymore.”

Flight attendants have seen a rise in the number of delays, which has increased the level of employee stress.

“The airlines don’t pay you for delay fees, so it’s hard on us as well. It’s hard when we’re sitting around in the airport for days and day-and-a-halfs without seeing any flights go out.” – Uschi Woronin

If American Airlines continues to take a hard line stance on negotiating a contract for its flight attendants, the airline may find itself in a world of trouble. With so much volatility in the industry these days, negotiations can be tricky.

“We continue to meet regularly with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants in order to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. We’re happy to provide our flight attendants with an opportunity to picket, and we respect their right to do so.”

When scheduling and flight planning are low, many of the problems are caused by cancellations and delays. More accurate schedules go a long way in reducing these costs–both for flying crews and you, the public. It’s difficult to reform this during periods of high cancellations and when crews are displaced from their usual load positions.

More frustration

Employee morale is very low. Flight attendants have been in talks with American Airlines for almost four years now, and they are likely months away from even beginning to talk about raises. We don’t know when the contract will finally be signed by the flight attendants, but it’s likely going to be sometime in Q2 2023.