CWA Passenger Service Agents Build Power at Leadership Summit

Leaders from several unions representing American Airlines workers convened last week to further CWA’s shared goal of building a more unified, impactful labor movement at one of the nation’s largest airlines.

Representatives from the CWA-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Association, the Allied Pilot Association (APA), the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the Professional Airline Flight Control Association (PAFCA), and the Transportation Workers United-International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (TWU-IAM) discussed cross-union solidarity and coordinated action, the need for increased transparency from management, and joint proposals for worker empowerment and protection on the job.

In a statement, the unions stressed their commitment to maintaining a cohesive, coordinated labor coalition to address the opportunities and challenges ahead. They will meet again on October 23 at APA headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, to continue this critical dialogue.

Meanwhile, CWA members at American Airlines subsidiary Piedmont Airlines continue to fight for a fair contract. The bargaining team is continuing to meet with the company while awaiting the start of federal mediation. Under the Railway Labor Act, which governs labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, mediation is a required step when the union and the company cannot reach an agreement on their own. Passenger Service Agents are not permitted to strike, picket, or take job actions unless the National Mediation Board declares an impasse and formally releases both parties from mediation.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.