After an Impressive Campaign, Flight Attendants Might Strike for the First Time Since 1993
Union flight attendants at American Airlines recently delivered a strike authorization vote of 99%, with 93% turnout. The staggering total was the result of not only a membership itching to walk out but a campaign that engaged rank-and-file members.
American Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, picket outside Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, on August 30, 2023. (Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Flight Attendants at American Airlines voted to strike by 99.47 percent at the end of August, with 93 percent turnout.
The 26,000-member union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, has been in negotiations since 2019 — and members have seen no raises since then. Understaffing and scheduling are also big issues. American, based in Dallas, is the largest airline in the world by passengers carried.
In some cases, said Miami flight attendant Laura Bries, “members wanted to strike yesterday,” but because airlines fall under the Railway Labor Act, they face several more steps before they can strike. The union last struck in 1993.
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