Could US Airways flight attendants’ vote affect SFO?
American Airlines flight attendants’ vote this week to allow the strike has pressured the carrier amid negotiations over a pay increase — but officials at San Francisco International Airport said travel disruption is not expected over the Labor Day weekend, even after the flight attendants are out of commission. Picket lines at other major airports on Wednesday.
“I can confirm that we are not experiencing any operational impact at this time,” Doug Yakel, a spokesman for the Serious Fraud Office, told the Chronicle on Thursday. American no longer had a base at SFO and was therefore not among the airports intercepted by off-duty hosts.
Yakel said there are barriers to actually calling a strike. Among them is the federal law, which makes it difficult for airline unions to strike legally, the Associated Press reported. The Associated Press said the federal mediators would first have to declare further negotiations pointless — a rare ruling — and the president and Congress could also move to delay or block the strike.
But Julie Hedricks of Fairfield, president of the National Union of Flight Attendants, said the strike could happen just in time to impact the holiday season.
“Yesterday we sent a clear mandate to the management of American Airlines that we are ready for the contract we deserve,” said Hedrick, who has been a flight attendant with American Airlines for 41 years. “We haven’t seen a pay increase in over four years or an improvement in our schedule.”
American Airlines flight attendant Julie Hedrick on a picket line on Wednesday. San Francisco International Airport was not among the airports where flight attendants picket during off-duty hours, as American Airlines no longer has a base there.
Courtesy ABFAThere are 400 American Airlines flight attendants who live in the Bay Area and fly to bases elsewhere.
The PFL vote follows a major contract upgrade reached by the pilots’ union, which calls for a 40% wage increase.
The attendees have been negotiating the contract since 2019. They say a request for federal mediation accepted in June came to nothing, and the strike permit was approved by a margin of 99.4%, with 93% of eligible voters casting ballots.
“We recognize that a strike permit vote is one important way that flight attendants express their desire to close the deal,” said Tim Wetzel, a spokesman for American Airlines. “The results do not change our commitment nor distract us from working quickly to reach an agreement.”
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, American Airlines is the largest airline in the world, with 26,000 members, and the flight attendants union claims to be the largest job group of any airline. They are seeking an immediate 35% raise upon contract signing, followed by 6% annual increases for the duration of the contract.
“We expect a significant increase, better scheduling flexibility, and a return to our staffing at pre-coronavirus levels,” Hedrick said.
The last strike carried out by American attendees was in November 1993 and lasted four days. By authorizing the strike, the union leadership can apply for exemption from mediation by the National Mediation Board. If the release is granted, there will be a 30-day cooling-off period. A strike could then be called in time for the holiday travel season.
“We’ve made progress, but our hosts are tired of delays in getting the deal done,” Hedrick said.
Contact Sam Whiting: swhiting@sfchronicle.com
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