American Airlines Management, Flight Attendants Summoned To Washington

American Airlines

Could the power of the United States government break the stalemate?

Is the aura of the nation’s capital enough?

American Airlines management and the union representing its flight attendants were summoned to a rare meeting in Washington of the National Mediation Board on Saturday. Such weekend meetings are uncommon, but this was in the hopes to break an impasse in the years-long struggle between the two sides in the hopes to avoid a strike.

By law, the flight attendants cannot strike until given permission after a 30-day cooling off period.

But just this rare meaning alone is a sign that we are nearing that point.

The National Mediation Board is a three-person federal committee that overseas the nation’s airlines and railways. American’s flight attendants did vote to enact a strike more than two years ago, but the National Mediation Board has successfully avoided that prospect and not allowed any action.

But the situation has become dire, even to the point where Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su have become involved in the negotiations.

“After weeks of intensive mediation broke off last week, your APFA Negotiating Team has continued to aggressively press our case that American Airlines Flight Attendants need a contract that addresses our concerns,” the union said in a statement. “The time is long overdue for American Airlines management to resolve these negotiations and agree to the contract we deserve.”

American Airlines previously made an offer to the flight attendants earlier this month that was apparently rejected.