Flight Attendants Slam American’s Replacement Plan

The Airline Biz blog reports that the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) is none too pleased with American’s plan to use management staff as emergency backup flight crew in the event of a flight attendant strike. APFA president Laura Glading had stern words for the carrier, and its contingency plan:

“The message is that they are willing to spend vast sums on a scheme doomed to failure, while continuing to avoid negotiating remaining economic issues at the bargaining table.

“When we return to Washington at the end of February, in a continuation of intensified talks under Federal mediation, management will have to answer to its Flight Attendants and to the NMB for this double-standard.

“Though we remain committed to the process of collectively achieving an agreement that recognizes the sacrifices Flight Attendants have made, AA’s stalling and bad faith bargaining pushes us ever closer to impasse.”

According to the blog, “APFA and American have been negotiating a new contract for 21 months, and Glading has said she will ask the National Mediation Board to declare an impasse if the two sides can’t reach a deal during Feb. 27-March 3 talks in Washington, D.C.”

Sounds like the situation just got a bit more tense …