American’s new and old liveries
American Airlines and US Airways flight attendants rejected the tentative agreement on a new joint collective bargaining agreement in a close vote.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union that represents both American Airlines and US Airways cabin crew, announced the results of the vote Sunday morning.
The vote was 8,180 in favor and 8,196 against. Almost 8,000 flight attendants, or one third of the membership, did not cast a vote.
The agreement, which was reached in September, covered more than 24,000 flight attendants working at both American Airlines and US Airways. It came just ten months after the merger of the two carriers. The flight attendants union had supported US Airways’ bid to merge with American in bankruptcy.
The union said that the “outstanding issues (those issues reached in the final days of bargaining)” will be submitted for binding arbitration, and that is scheduled to begin December 3. Until the arbitration process is concluded and a new contract is awarded, both American and US Airways flight attendants will continue to work under their current contract.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)