AA flight attendants OK contract, push merger
American Airlines flight attendants announced Sunday that their union has approved a new contract offer from the airline, which is seeking to cut costs in bankruptcy protection. These jets are on the ground earlier this year at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. (Feb. 1, 2012) Credit: AP
DALLAS -- Flight attendants at American Airlines voted to approve a new contract offer from the airline, which is seeking to cut costs in bankruptcy protection.
In a comment on the vote, which union officers pushed hard, the union said that the best course for American is a merger with US Airways Group, Inc. US Airways has been pushing for a merger with AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines.
The results released Sunday showed attendants voted to accept the contract by 59.5 percent to 40.5 percent, according to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.
By voting for the airlines' proposal, which includes numerous concessions, the flight attendants stave off the chance that American would impose even deeper cuts in bankruptcy court.
In advocating ratification, union's leadership warned that 2,000 flight attendants could be forced to take unpaid leave, or furloughs, if the offer were rejected.
After the vote result became public, American Airlines spokesman Bruce Hicks said in a prepared statement, the vote "is an important step forward in our restructuring. We know this was not an easy decision for our flight attendants, and we are very pleased with the choice they made."
The flight attendants now join mechanics and other union workers at the company who have already accepted new contracts. The airline's pilots rejected the company's last offer.
The flight attendants' union said the "yes" vote should not be considered a vote of support for American Airlines' executives. "It is important to remember who and what has caused this horrible situation -- our current management team," a statement from the APFA said.
Earlier this year, unions for American Airlines' flight attendants, pilots and ground crews agreed to provisional contracts with US Airways, in the event of a merger.
After pilots rejected the American contract offer, AMR asked the bankruptcy judge to throw out the pilots' current contract and impose deeper spending cuts.
Under federal bankruptcy law, companies can void union contracts if they convince a judge that it's necessary to turn the company around.
AMR said the new flight attendants' contract will reduce spending by $195 million a year. The union said 12,570 flight attendants, 93 percent of those eligible to vote, participated.
The bankruptcy court still needs to sign off on the flight attendants' new contract before it goes into effect.
