American Airlines to Engage in Binding Arbitration With Flight Attendants

Fort Worth-based American Airlines will reportedly engage in binding arbitration with the company’s flight attendants next month. Over the weekend, more than 16,000 cabin crew employees voted on whether to approve a five-year labor contract that would have left the company’s 24,000 flight attendants the highest paid in the industry. The pay and benefits proposal was rejected by a margin of only 16 votes. Although the proposed labor contract guaranteed the workers a series of pay raises, it would have ended the company’s current profit-sharing plan.

According to a representative for American, the terms agreed upon in the upcoming arbitral proceedings will be imposed without a vote. Binding arbitration between the airline and union representatives acting on behalf of the company’s flight attendants is currently scheduled to begin on December 3rd.

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