Union Says It May Not Reveal Results Right Away

While the expectation is that American Airlines pilots will have voted to authorize a strike in balloting that ended Wednesday at noon (CDT), union leaders said they may not immediately announce the results of that vote.

The strike authorization vote has been going on for a month. Reuters reports that the union may use the unreleased results as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with American management. Those talks resumed this week as American suffered numerous flight delays and maintenance issues. The union has steadfastly held that there has been no organized or authorized labor action.

It is more likely that the strike vote will be kept secret if a 30-day "cooling off period" is ordered by the National Mediation Board should there be an impasse in the negotiations. APA spokesman Thomas Hoban said that is a tactic that has been used by the union in the past.

Federal law makes an airline pilots' strike difficult, and the White House could intervene in such a situation. The airline contends that it would be illegal for the pilots to walk off the job, but Hoban said the union "has the right to strike."

Some analysts say the situation is similar to one faced by now-defunct Eastern Airlines 20 years ago. A protracted dispute with its pilots is credited in part with the airline's decision to fold.

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org, www.aa.com