Flight attendants use day of action for contract negotiation awareness

Julie Hedrick, National President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the nationwide day of action by flight attendants on Feb. 13. Hedrick also discussed the status of the negotiations with American Airlines and what the union believes is their next step in the process.

Hedrick is a native of Huron, Ohio, and has been a flight attendant for the last 41 years. She took over as the president of the AFPA, the official bargaining unit for the American Airlines Flight Attendants on April 1, 2020. At the time, they were in the midst of an effort to allow flight attendants to wear masks during the beginning of the pandemic. Her initial time as president was dictated by the pandemic and trying to navigate the situation with the members' health at the forefront.

On Feb. 13, flight attendants nationwide united to perform a day of action, raising awareness for the numerous contract negotiations for flight attendants across the industry. The goal is to unify across the sector to address issues that had never been a part of negotiations. Among the issues gaining extra focus is boarding pay, the most hectic time for a flight attendant, and ensuring they are paid for that time, not just after the plane doors close. 

For American Airlines negotiations, they have been in talks since 2019 and without a pay raise for five years. Negotiations took a break during the pandemic and then talks resumed for the past two and a half years. During the entire negotiation process, American Airlines had only proposed one economic issue in Sept. 2023, and Hedrick talked about the union's belief that they are now at an impasse. Hedrick outlined the problems still left to discuss and their next steps in the process.

For more on the American Airlines negotiation status please listen to the show above.