Press Release TWU / IAM Support

The following is a statement from Lori Bassani, National President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, on American Airlines’ accusing the Transport Workers Union and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers of engaging in an illegal work slowdown:

Euless, TX (May 22, 2019) - “Despite the constant problems that have left it ranked last among the major airlines, American Airlines continues to scapegoat and attack its hardworking unionized workforce, who sacrificed much to build the world’s largest airline.

The working men and women of the IAM and TWU are critically important assets to the airline, not the problem. But for the past five years, American Airlines management has treated them that way in contract talks by pushing to offshore more of the airline’s maintenance work, critical work that we believe should be accomplished by the highly trained professionals of TWU and IAM, workers who put safety first for our crew and customers.

This unnecessarily aggressive litigious attack on its workers is only the latest example of the lack of respect the airline has shown its longtime, dedicated employees. It does no one any good — not the airline, the workers or the passengers — for American to attack the IAM and TWU, who are fighting for fair wages and working conditions, at the same time AA handed out lucrative bonuses and compensation packages to its management.

Unionized employees invested in the future and viability of their airline with substantial givebacks and sub-standard contracts during mergers and bankruptcies—now it’s time for American to invest in its workers, its fleet and its passengers to stop playing games with its Unions.

We stand wholeheartedly with the hard-working men and women of TWU and IAM.”