The National Mediation Board concluded Tuesday that American Airlines and US Airways are a “single transportation system,” as requested by the flight attendant unions of the two carriers.
The next step probably will be for the NMB to find that the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union representing American’s flight attendants, is the collective bargaining agent for the flight attendants of both carriers.
APFA and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents US Airways flight attendants, had reached an agreement in late January that APFA would be the union for both American Airlines and US Airways flight attendants.
The NMB now has a 30-day waiting period to see if any other union steps up with a “showing of interest” from more than 50 percent of the two carriers’ flight attendants. If no such contender arises and AFA doesn’t seek to assert itself, APFA would become the sole union representative.
The NMB ruling stated that as of May 31, American had 15,685 flight attendants and US Airways had 8,387.
Negotiators for the flight attendants and American began talks in April for a joint contract that would replace the separate APFA-American and AFA-US Airways contracts. The deadline for a deal is Sept. 17.
“This is just great news for the flight attendants,” APFA spokeswoman Leslie Mayo said. “We just continue to move forward to our new contract. We’re working well together with AFA.”
“We see this as another positive step in the integration of our two carriers,” American spokesman Paul Flaningan said.
UPDATE, 2:30 p.m.: The AFA reminded members that:
This decision does not change AFA’s legal standing as the representative of Flight Attendants at pre-merger US Airways. It is a step in the process that, under the ratified Agreement on Bargaining and Representation (ABR) will conclude with APFA representation of all Flight Attendants at the new American.”
A few points to note immediately:
- AFA remains the representative of pre-merger US Airways Flight Attendants until the NMB certifies APFA, which will occur no earlier than 30 days from today.
- AFA remains an equal partner in negotiations for the single Contract at the new American.
- The AFA/US Airways contract remains in full force and effect until the new contract is implemented and AFA will enforce the contract throughout this period, even after APFA becomes the representative. Further, the US Airways contract provides leverage and value in shaping the single contract at the new American.
- Current AFA leaders will transition to APFA Board member positions, and AFA Local and MEC structures will remain in place until the new contract is implemented in order to facilitate enforcement of the pre-merger US Airways contract.
- If you have not done so already, sign an APFA membership card/Dues Check Off form immediately and return to an AFA lock box in the domicile in order to ensure your right to vote and other union membership privileges are not interrupted.
BACK TO ORIGINAL ITEM: Last week, the NMB issued a “single transportation system” ruling covering passenger service agents at American, where such employees have no union, and US Airways, where such employees are presented by the Communications Workers of America.
Since American has more employees in that class and craft that US Airways, the NMB has called for an election. The Aug. 15-Sept. 15 vote will determine whether those employees will be represented by a union and, if so, which union. The CWA is mounting a campaign to continue representing those employees at the combined company.
The NMB is also considering a petition from American’s pilot union, the Allied Pilots Association, for single transportation designation.
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