The pilots talk as they watch the tail of an American Airlines plane.
Mike Stone | Reuters
The union representing American Airlines pilots said Tuesday it plans to picket the airline’s main axes this fall to protest schedule, fatigue and a lack of hotels for crews during the summer. .
The flight attendant unions of American and Southwest Airlines have complained of similar problems.
The pilots’ union’s plans are the latest sign of rising tensions between some labor groups and airline management, which have struggled to keep up with travel demand for peak months. vacation, to raise revenue after the pandemic caused a prolonged downturn for the industry.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, which represents approximately 9,000 Southwest pilots, said last month that it is considering picketing U.S. airports during the year-end holidays for similar issues. These plans are still being studied, union president Casey Murray told CNBC on Tuesday.
The Allied Pilots Association, the union that represents the 15,000 American pilots, is in the midst of contractual negotiations with the airline, as well as the airline’s flight attendants union.
The union said it planned to hold pickets at U.S. centers at Miami International Airport, Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport and others “in the coming weeks.”
“Our airline needs programming practices that support the margin of safety, respect the needs of pilots and passengers, and de-American Airlines to protect and improve revenue,” the union said in a note to members.
American did not comment immediately.