American Airlines flight attendants vote to authorize a strike, although walkout unlikely. Here's what travelers should know

Flight attendants at American Airlines voted overwhelmingly to authorize union leaders to call for a strike, a move designed to put pressure on the carrier during negotiations over pay raises.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said Wednesday, Aug. 30, that more than 99% of members who voted recently favored giving the union power to call a strike.

Union President Julie Hedrick said in a statement that the vote tells company management that flight attendants, who have not received raises since 2019, are “fired up." American executives, she said, “ignore this strike vote at their peril.”

The union backed up the vote with informational pickets at several airports, including LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. A picket planned for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Wednesday was moved to the IAM Sky Harbor Local Lodge 2559 in Tempe.

American Airlines said in a statement that the vote to authorize the strike and the pickets would not affect its operations.

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Is an American Airlines flight attendant strike happening now?

No. The vote to authorize a strike does not mean a strike is happening now or is imminent.

The federal Railway Labor Act, which governs airline workers, makes it difficult for airline unions to conduct legal strikes — they need a decision from federal mediators that further negotiations would be pointless, which rarely happens. The president and Congress can also get involved to delay or block a strike.

"This is because of how important airline workers are to transit," union spokesman Paul Hartshorn Jr. told The Arizona Republic. "We can't just go on strike like the Writer's Guild (of America)."

The union's next steps after the vote involve resuming negotiations with American Airlines and mediators with the National Mediation Board, with talks scheduled through the rest of the year. Hartshorn said the union's four main sticking points are compensation, retirement contributions, addressing staffing inadequacies and offering more flexible scheduling.

After a decision from federal mediators, the union is required by law to go through a 30-day cooling-off period before a strike can occur.

"But if management continues proposing concessions coupled with meager improvements to compensation and retirement, we will not hesitate to request a release to strike if necessary," the union said in a statement.

Will the strike vote affect American Airlines flights?

American Airlines passengers won't see any impact on their flights, at least for now.

The vote to authorize a strike has no immediate impact on American Airlines' operations and flight attendants will continue to work, American Airlines spokesman Timothy Wetzel said.

In a statement provided to The Arizona Republic, American Airlines said, "We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in negotiations with the APFA, and we look forward to reaching an agreement that provides our flight attendants with real and meaningful value.

"We understand that a strike authorization vote is one of the important ways flight attendants express their desire to get a deal done. The results don’t change our commitment or distract us from working expeditiously to reach an agreement."

If a strike does occur, it would hurt American's ability to staff its flights.

Are other airline unions planning to strike?

Earlier this month, American's pilots ratified a contract that will raise average pay more than 40% over four years. Flight attendants are not expected to reap that kind of increase, as they have less leverage than pilots, who are in short supply.

Unions at other airlines also are pushing for new contracts. Pilots at Southwest Airlines and flight attendants at United Airlines plan to picket at airports on Thursday, Aug. 31. United flight attendants plan to picket at Sky Harbor starting at 9 a.m. Thursday.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: American Airlines flight attendants vote to authorize a strike