Flight attendants at American Airlines’ regional carrier PSA Airlines will vote on whether to authorize a strike following recent collective bargaining negotiations.
PSA Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines and operates 500 flights daily to nearly 100 destinations.
PSA’s more than 1,300 flight attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA at five crew bases, including DFW International Airport, and in three local councils, the union’s website says. Strike ballot materials will be sent to union members and voting will begin Aug. 21 and end Sept. 17.
“Without significant improvements, life for flight attendants at PSA is unsustainable,” said Lee Wilkes, president of the PSA branch of the AFA-CWA. “The cost of living has skyrocketed while our pay is lagging behind. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”
According to the union, management has presented an economic proposal that is not in line with the cost of living and wage increases at major airlines. The union filed for mediation in January and is demanding, among other things, double-digit wage increases, more pay for working hours, sick leave, improvements to working rules.
American Airlines and PSA Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In order for an airline to actually go on strike, the National Conciliation Board would have to declare the negotiations between both parties blocked and grant them a 30-day cooling-off period with a strike notice period.
The union has developed a strike strategy called CHAOS – creating chaos in our system, which could affect the entire regional airline system or even just a single flight if the union so decides.
