Co-chair of the Communication Workers of America-International Brotherhood of Teamsters Passenger Service Association, Kim Barboro, joined the America’s Work Force Union podcast to talk about the Association and their fight for a new contract with American Airlines.
The CWA-IBT Passenger Services Association was formed following a merger between America West and US Airways. The association jointly represents the airport and reservation’s passenger service employees. The contracts for both unions are identical. However, they do have different jurisdictions to handle any grievances filled by an employee.
During the pandemic, several employees used personal leave and sick days to help American Airlines receive funding assistance from the government, Barboro said. After returning to a sense of normalcy post-pandemic, the workers at American Airlines have watched the different industries and fellow airlines offering their employees much-needed raises. However, the management at American Airlines has come to the negotiations with a different mindset. Due to the constant abuse and physical threats the employees take, Barboro can only hope that management will come around for the safety of their employees.
On Aug 16, across several cities in America, the CWA-IBT Passenger Service Association held a wide-ranging informational strike. This strike was to help educate the public and workers about the contract negotiations. Of the 10,000 members of the Association, only the American Airlines contract is up for negotiation. Barboro believes that the picket was successful, and management now knows their desire to get a new contract.
To hear more on the status of negotiations, please press the play button above.
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