Flight Attendant Union Reaches Tentative Agreement At American Eagle Despite Difficult Bankruptcy Conditions

Flight Attendants Gain Chance to Vote on Contract Instead of Having Terms Imposed

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Eagle Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), announced a tentative agreement today after months of negotiations between AFA and American Eagle management. Once approved by union leadership, the agreement will provide Flight Attendants with the opportunity to vote on whether to ratify the agreement instead of being subject to the bankruptcy court's imposition of terms dictated by management.

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"Our AFA negotiations team has worked tirelessly to mitigate very onerous concessionary demands by management. Over the past four months, we have been able to stave off drastic concessions which would have decimated the pay and work rules of American Eagle Flight Attendants," said Robert Barrow, AFA American Eagle President. "This is certainly not the agreement we were negotiating prior to the bankruptcy, nor does it accurately reflect the vast contributions American Eagle Flight Attendants make to our carrier each day. However, this agreement blunts management's most onerous demands, gives us the opportunity to decide for ourselves how to move forward, and provides a foundation for the future."

The AMR Corporation, parent company of American Eagle and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011. AFA leadership at American Eagle has been fully engaged in responding to the bankruptcy filing and, along with financial and legal advisors, remains committed to defending Flight Attendant rights throughout the process.

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 over 65 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 at 21 airlines come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO