They say American Airlines management has continuously rejected contract proposals that they believe will improve the airline's operational reliability and flight attendant work life.
The union representing these workers, called the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, says even though flight hours across the country have returned to pre-pandemic levels, there are thousands fewer flight attendants now. This makes it even more challenging to recover from weather events.AAA says 55 million Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving, near pre-pandemic volume
It also means longer work days, minimal rest, and more rescheduled operations, leading to exhaustion and crews timing out. New-hire flight attendants are required to move into hub cities with astronomical housing costs - like Boston, Miami and New York - leaving many struggling to afford the cost of living.1,000 SFO restaurant workers go on strike for better pay
"American's flight attendants are the best in the business, and like all our team members, deserve to be paid well and competitively," the airline said in a statement. "We continue to meet regularly with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants to reach an agreement that benefits both our flight attendants and operation, and we respect the right of our flight attendants to participate in informational picketing.