American Airlines’ flight attendants voted to authorize a strike if the company refuses to agree to “reasonable” contract terms, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said on Wednesday.
An overwhelming 99.47% of the flight attendants represented by the labor union voted to authorize a strike, according to APFA that covers more than 26,000 flight attendants at the carrier.
“Flight attendants are fired up and ready for a contract. They (the company) ignore this strike vote at their peril,” Julie Hedrick, national president of APFA, said in a statement.
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If the company and the union are unable to reach an agreement in federal mediation, APFA could request to be released into a 30-day cooling-off period, after which the attendants would be free to begin a strike.
The deliberations come as union workers including pilots, employees and delivery drivers enjoy enhanced bargaining power against the backdrop of a tight labor market and a rise in public support for unions, Reuters reported.
Last week, American Airlines’ pilots approved a new contract that includes more than $9.6 billion in total pay and benefits increases over four years.
With travel demand showing no signs of cooling off, airlines have been in a rush to staff up which has bolstered workers to bargain for higher salaries and improved working conditions.
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