Even the President is pleased.
President Biden is among the many who are
happy now that American Airlines management and its flight attendants have
reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.
Although the new contract still
has to be ratified by nearly 28,000 people, it looks as though it avoids a
strike.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I’m proud of the record wages and record
contracts secured by workers during my Administration,” Biden said in a
statement. “When unions are strong, our nation is strong.”
The Association of Professional Flight
Attendants previously rejected a one-time offer of a 17 percent pay increase so
it is believed to be higher than that. The union said American Airlines flight
attendants have not received a raise in almost five years. Biden said a strike
would have had lasting repercussions on the United States economy.
Union President Julie Hedrick said it “will
put billions of additional dollars into compensation and work rules for our
flight attendant workgroup.”
American said the deal “will provide
immediate financial and quality-of-life improvements for American’s flight
attendants. It’s a contract we’re proud of and one our flight attendants have
earned.”
It was well-documented during the lengthy
negotiations that some flight attendants needed a so-called ‘poverty
letter’ to verify their low income.
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