Local 512

February 14, 2026

My fellow 512 family,

Many of you have seen the recent message from leadership, including comments from Robert Isom, calling for “internal Unity” and urging employees to stay focused on operational reliability, customer service, and teamwork as the airline works to rebuild its reputation.

Let’s be clear: no one understands reliability, service, and teamwork better than the frontline. We live it every day. We are the ones turning the aircraft, moving the bags, assisting passengers, and solving problems in real time. Unity has never been the issue among the workforces.

What continues to be missing is a clear, consistent direction from American Airlines leadership. We are being asked to be patient and engaged while a “recovery plan” plays out, yet that plan has not been meaningfully communicated to the very employees expected to execute it. Instead, what we are experiencing across hubs and stations is:

• Increase flying without the staffing to support it.
• Equipment shortages slow safe and efficient operations.
• Reduced turnaround windows that create unnecessary pressure on workers.
• A widening gap between operational expectations and available resources.
• Communication that is reactive rather than proactive.

That is not a strategy members can follow. That is a strain members are forced to manage.

You cannot rebuild an operation by scheduling growth faster than the infrastructure and workforce can sustain. Reliability is not achieved by asking fewer people to do more work in less time. Safety, service, and performance require investment, planning, and honest engagement with the frontline.

Our members are committed to doing the job right. What we are demanding is leadership that matches that commitment, providing the manpower, equipment, training, and realistic timelines necessary to succeed.

We will continue pressing these concerns at every level. We will document operational deficiencies, advocate for the resources you need, and ensure that growth does not come at the expense of safety or working conditions.

As we continue to raise concerns about operational challenges and the need for proper support, we want to share an update on actions being taken locally at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

In addition, American Airlines will begin hiring approximately 70 new full-time and 20 part-time employees, as part of preparations for the. Anticipated increase in summer flying. These are positive steps, and they reflect what can happen when frontline concerns are raised, documented, and pushed though. However, this must be the beginning and not the finish line. 

We want to. Make you aware of two important meetings taking place this coming week as we continue working to improve coordination and transparency on the operation.

First, we will meet with local management to discuss the upcoming spring bid and its structure. Our focus in this meeting is to ensure that the bid reflects operational realities, provides clarity for our members, and is implemented in a way that supports both staffing needs and fair work opportunities as flight activity increases.

Second, we will sit down with several Crew Chiefs to strengthen communication and improve understanding of how the company’s dual offload process is communicated to frontline members. We have heard your concerns about inconsistencies in direction, and this discussion is intended to establish clearer expectations, improve coordination, and eliminate confusion between management and the field.

We will keep you updated as these discussions move forward.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Juan Elvira

President – TWU Local 512

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