American Airlines pilots have reached an agreement in principle with the Fort Worth carrier, just a week ahead of the start of a busy summer travel season.
In a note to pilots, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American’s more than 15,000 pilots, said the parties will wrap up contractual language for the agreement. Once completed, the negotiating committee will present the agreement in principle to the union’s board of directors for consideration. The board will review a week before a meeting proposed to consider the contract.
“Fellow pilots, thank you for your steadfast support throughout this lengthy process,” the union’s note read. “As always, we will proceed with the best interests of the pilot group foremost in our minds.”
Details of the agreement in principle will be released by the negotiating committee soon, according to the pilots union.
“We’re pleased to have reached an agreement in principle on a new four-year contract with the Allied Pilots Association that provides our pilots with pay and profit sharing that match the top of the industry with improved quality-of-life provisions unique to American’s pilots,” said Sarah Jantz, spokesperson for American Airlines. “We have the best and most professional pilots in the business and like all American Airlines team members, they deserve to be paid well and competitively.”
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said pilot pay would be boosted by $8 billion over four years under a contract proposed by the Fort Worth carrier. American’s pilots would receive a 21% pay increase on average in the first year, Isom said in a video to pilots in March.
Dennis Tajer, Allied Pilots Association spokesperson said it’s a step to “inserting certainty into the summer schedule.”
“It’s a major step in aligning everybody’s eyeballs, running the best airline possible and continuing to take care of our passengers,” Tajer said. “And, just as importantly, going out there and beating the competition.”
This month, American’s pilots voted to authorize a strike, even though the carrier said it was close to a deal. The strike authorization vote began on April 1 and ended April 30, and over 96% of members participated, with 99% of participants voting in favor of authorizing a strike. A strike authorization vote doesn’t necessarily mean a strike or a work stoppage will happen. The vote garners support from the union’s membership in the event that the union would like to enact a strike.
“It’s a contract that improves upon the agreement in principle we negotiated last fall,” Isom told pilots earlier this year. “It’s a contract our pilots deserve, and I know a contract that we can afford.”
Last week, Southwest Airlines pilots voted to authorize a strike after less than two weeks of voting. Pilots at Delta Air Lines approved a contract earlier this year, raising their pay by more than 30% over four years. United Airlines pilots are also in contract negotiations and held a nationwide informational picket on May 12.
It is expected that the deal between American and its pilots will match pay rates for Delta’s pilots.
