Published 02 Sep, 2016
Brothers and Sisters:
As negotiations with American Airlines continue, we know you’re eager for additional information about what’s happening at the bargaining table. Here’s the latest:
It’s been a few weeks since the interim agreement, and, despite the progress we made on those economic issues, it’s been a bit slow as we’ve returned to direct negotiations. The company has been helpful with resolving key issues with the agreement, but overall, we’re growing frustrated with the pace at which things are moving.
While we try to move forward on other key economic articles in the contract, the company’s approach seems to be to address certain issues within an article, then set that aside and move to another. We don’t support this approach to bargaining, and we’re concerned that with some proposals, just as we take two steps forward, this roundabout process forces us to take another step back. Our approach has always been to continue introducing and addressing new articles in an attempt to make progress wherever we can.
Rest assured, we’ve voiced our concerns, and we’re resolute in holding American Airlines accountable to negotiating the rest of this contract in a fair and timely fashion. We will not let the interim agreement stall this process or delay further discussions about the remainder of the contract.
Finally, we remain hopeful that the company will invite their key economic decision makers to join us at the table and participate in these discussions to keep them on track.
Please refer to this week’s bulletins for the specific articles discussed in our sessions, and for an updated list of our current TAs. You can find all the bulletins at TWU.org or on the TWU App. As always, we thank you for your continued patience, solidarity, and commitment to your union.
In Solidarity,
Mike Mayes
TWU Air Division Director
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