Otterbox

Negotiations Update
As we exit a third week of intensive offsite negotiations, every aspect of the APA Board of Directors’ (BOD) global framework has been placed on the table, discussed, negotiated, and costed. We believe that a comprehensive Agreement in Principle (AIP) is near. This week, we will meet with the BOD to discuss and evaluate current progress, while simultaneously continuing to negotiate for a deal that represents the pay, work rules, and quality of work life our industry commands and which you have earned.

As articulated in a video published on Friday, CEO Robert Isom is representing that your new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will exceed $8 billion in value over the term of the contract. Although this commitment may represent a substantial increase over the incremental value of the recently ratified Delta Air Lines contract, it must be remembered that American Airlines’ pilots are negotiating from a bankruptcy-era contract that left us significantly behind Delta from the start.

In addition to a commitment to match industry-leading compensation, management has stated that they have heard us loud and clear regarding mandatory improvements in quality of life and work rules and have committed to providing the necessary resources to accomplish this goal.

The APA global framework made it clear that a comprehensive contract upgrade is the priority of our pilots – including compensation, quality of work life, clear and concise language, and the necessary programming resources to make it happen. While your Negotiating Committee continues to bargain with absolute discipline on your behalf, there is still work to be done. As we narrow the economic gap on Sick, Vacation, and Deadhead provisions, critical work-rule provisions must be addressed, primarily sections 4.C. (sequence protection) and 15 (hours of service and work rules), for which we will seek BOD guidance this week.

We acknowledge and appreciate the ongoing commitment to long hours and solutions-based negotiations that have led us to this point, and while both sides have made measurable progress toward a ratifiable agreement …

The time to finish this deal is now!

Every day that passes is a day our pilots labor under a sub-standard agreement that is problematic to both our careers and the certainty of American Airlines’ operation.

This week, we will present the BOD with a comprehensive report on the progress at the table, including a detailed economic evaluation. Once the BOD review is complete, anticipate a detailed membership update to follow.

TTS/RTT Update

As a result of intense scheduling-related negotiations, a mutual TTS Working Group has been established. This group will include (joint) top-level scheduling and IT subject-matter experts.

Starting immediately, the TTS Working Group will begin a focused improvement process for TTS. The initial goals include enhancement of the user experience, with the longer-term goal of creating harmonization with other scheduling applications.

Items on the agenda to be addressed immediately include:

Upgrades to the user interface
Transparent OTLs
Improved sequence display format
Meaningful reasons reporting
Streamlining of cumbersome drag and drop functionally
We are optimistic that this collaboration will result in a better experience for our members.

In closing, we cannot thank the pilot group enough for their unity, support, professionalism, and participation in this most critical union activity. We remain committed and focused on our collective resolve to deliver the world-class contract you have earned!