Negotiations Made Difficult By Bankruptcy Conditions

American Eagle Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), announced a tentative agreement last last week after months of negotiations between AFA and American Eagle management. Once approved by union leadership, the agreement will provide flight attendants with the opportunity to vote on whether to ratify the agreement instead of being subject to the bankruptcy court's imposition of terms dictated by management.

"Our AFA negotiations team has worked tirelessly to mitigate very onerous concessionary demands by management. Over the past four months, we have been able to stave off drastic concessions which would have decimated the pay and work rules of American Eagle flight attendants," said Robert Barrow, AFA American Eagle President. "This is certainly not the agreement we were negotiating prior to the bankruptcy, nor does it accurately reflect the vast contributions American Eagle flight attendants make to our carrier each day. However, this agreement blunts management's most onerous demands, gives us the opportunity to decide for ourselves how to move forward, and provides a foundation for the future."

The AMR Corporation, parent company of American Eagle and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011. AFA leadership at American Eagle has been fully engaged in responding to the bankruptcy filing and, along with financial and legal advisors, remains committed to defending flight attendant rights throughout the process.

FMI: www.afacwa.org