AFA Blasts AMR Outsourcing Regional Flying, Defends Work of American Eagle Flight Attendants

Washington, DC – Flight Attendants at American Eagle, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), responded to the recent announcement that AMR Corporation will begin outsourcing American Airlines regional flying to a non AMR-owned carrier. AFA American Eagle President Robert Barrow issued the following statement:

“AMR management’s outsourcing of regional flying is despicable. This is not only a betrayal of American Eagle employees who have given up so much to make our airline competitive, it represents the very corporate hubris that undermines our economy.

“Since American Eagle was forced into bankruptcy, we have been repeatedly told that it was necessary for all employees to share equally in the sacrifice. We were told that we have to lower Flight Attendant costs to be an attractive feeder airline for American Airlines. We negotiated in good faith and were told that if we contributed to a leaner American Eagle, our airline would grow and we would pursue other flying opportunities.

“After pushing back against unreasonable demands, Flight Attendants were compelled to make cuts and sacrifices by anti-worker bankruptcy laws, and under management’s deceitful assertion that our airline would remain competitive and grow.

“After, giving up so much to make our Company viable, management is now, hypocritically, planning to outsource regional flying. This imprudent decision is another example of the questionable judgment by AMR management that landed American Eagle in bankruptcy.

“For years, American Eagle has been a profitable subsidiary and Flight Attendants have been an instrumental part of the overall success. Our contributions over the past three decades have been vital to the success of our airline. Together, we have dug deep and created opportunities for our airline’s future. We lived up to our end of the agreement. It is time management live up to theirs.”

AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Eagle and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011. AFA leadership at American Eagle has been fully engaged in responding to the bankruptcy filing and, along with financial and legal advisors, remains committed to defending Flight Attendant rights throughout the process.

The Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 67 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.