American Eagle Flight Attendants Concerned About Merger Settlement's Effect on Workers
Washington, DC – American Eagle Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), today voiced concern that the recent US Airways/American Airlines anti-trust settlement will have a negative effect on AMR Corporation’s wholly owned subsidiary American Eagle, which carries nearly 20 million passengers a year for American Airlines.
“Over the past year, as a result of American’s bankruptcy, American Eagle’s regional flying has been steadily outsourced. American Eagle Flight Attendants provided substantial concessions in 2012 with the promise that doing so would retain as much of American’s regional flying as possible and position American Eagle for future growth. These actions by management, coupled with the massive divesture outlined in yesterday’s settlement announcement, validate Flight Attendants’ concerns,” Robert Barrow, AFA President at American Eagle.
Since November 2012, AMR Corporation has shuttered two American Eagle bases and outsourced a considerable amount of regional flying to four non-owned carriers.
“The nearly 2,000 American Eagle Flight Attendants deserve to know what their role will be in the new combined carrier. Since the merger was announced, AFA leaders have pressed US Airways management to divulge their plans and honor their promises of good jobs in exchange for the contributions of American Eagle Flight Attendants. Our past sacrifices add value and we must not be punished for our contributions to the new American,” added Barrow.
The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 68 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at http://afaeagle.com/
