American
Airlines has made an offer to its flight attendants, but
it appears to be a time-sensitive "take it or leave it" deal in the hopes of
avoiding a strike.
American
is offering an immediate 17
percent pay raise and increased profit sharing. The current contract is not
up yet, but it is clear that American is trying to get ahead of the game.
CEO
Robert Isom said in a video message to the flight attendants: “We have made
progress in a number of key areas but there’s still a good deal of work to be
done. A deal is within reach, but I don’t know how long it will take
to get to the finish line and I don’t want another day to go by without
increasing your pay.”
The
union that represents the flight attendants finds itself in a unique position. Representatives are walking a fine line between not liking management to speak directly to
employees and an immediate pay increase to the workforce.
Because
the current contract is not up, there is no pressure on the flight attendants
to get a deal done. But they might find it difficult to walk away from what is
considered a decent deal. That is the dilemma they face with this current
offer. There is also the conventional business thinking that a delay is more
advantageous to management than employees.
But
it is also a risk to management, since it is not asking for anything else in
return. That is, there doesn’t appear to be too much bargaining leverage.
“We
are looking for a complete contract,” the union responded. “We believe that AA
management underestimated the determination and resolve of Flight Attendants to
achieve the contract we deserve.”
The
union also called the offer a publicity stunt. So a
strike is always
a possibility.
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