American Airlines pilots are pressing the carrier to open talks on a new labor agreement in January, arguing that the current deal no longer reflects the strength of the airline or the wider travel market. The request was reported on November 19, 2018.
The Allied Pilots Association, which represents about 15,000 American Airlines pilots, said the goal is to move beyond the bankruptcy-era contract and secure better pay. A spokesman for the union said compensation at American still lags behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
American signed a five-year contract with its pilots in early 2015, after leaving Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That agreement delivered an immediate 23 percent pay increase, followed by annual raises of 3 percent.
The airline’s bankruptcy exit in 2013, completed through its merger with US Airways, created the world’s largest airline by passenger traffic. Even so, the union says pilots have not kept pace with rivals in overall compensation.
APA President Daniel Carey said the union wants the negotiations finished in months, not years. The group said booming demand for air travel makes this the right time to seek a revised deal.
American said it was eager to build on its relationship with pilots as the parties head toward negotiations. The carrier also gave pilots a mid-contract pay increase in 2017.
Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru.
