American Airlines Pilots Union Rejects Bonus Pay Aimed at Fixing Understaffing ProblemsThe union is rejecting the holiday offer in favor of more permanent changes.
With holiday travel ramping up, airlines are desperate to alleviate staffing problems that have plagued the industryover the past few months.
American Airlines has aimed to address this labor shortage byoffering a 50% pay increase to pilotswho work during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's season. However, theAllied Pilots Association(APA), which consists of more than 14,000 American Airlines pilots, rejected the offer.
"The Board received a full briefing from the Negotiating Committee and thoroughly considered all aspects of the proposed [letter of agreement] before voting 20-0 to reject it," the APAwrote in a statementon Tuesday. "While understanding that its rejection creates a disparity among our fellow work groups that have accepted management's proffered incentives, the Board concluded that the need to achieve meaningful permanent improvements in a new collective bargaining agreement must remain APA's focus."
Related:Southwest Pilots' Union Sues Airline Over COVID-19 Response
Union spokesperson Dennis Tajertold CNBC额外的费用是“懒惰”和“明确承认哟u mismanaged the airline." Instead, the union said it wants more permanent improvements, like with how the airline creates its schedule.
"We are, of course, disappointed, especially since we have holiday pay programs in place for all other frontline groups at the company," Kimball Stone, American's senior vice president of flight operations, and Chip Long, vice president of flight operations, wrote in response, according to CNBC. "But we will continue to look for opportunities to work with APA to support you during the holidays, as well as explore our options to maximize availability of existing premiums."
American Airlines isn't just extending the holiday bonus to pilots in its attempt to fix its staffing problems. It'salso offeringto pay flight attendants triple for trips during select periods this holiday season, along with extra pay for perfect attendance between mid-November and January. In addition, the carrier isofferingother employees $1,000 for perfect attendance between November 15 and January 2.
American Airlines has already exemplified how holiday disruption can descend to disaster. Over Halloween weekend, it was forced tocancel more than 2,000 flightsafter turbulent weather created staffing issues.
Related:American Airlines Pilots to Picket Over Staff Shortages, Fatigue
