American Airlines pilots may soon have the opportunity to choose whether to keep their union, Allied Pilots Association (APA), independent or to merge with the much larger Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA); according to a recent Bloomberg article.
ALPA, which represents 54,000 pilots at 31 airlines, has secured more lucrative agreements for pilots at Southwest and Delta Air Lines. APA only represents the pilots of American Airlines, which many American pilots see as a missed opportunity to truly join forces with and harness the power of pilots industrywide at a time of record profits at US airlines.
Incidentally, the flight attendants at American are also represented by an independent union, Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA). The sentiment is growing at both the APA and APFA that independence has resulted in isolation and therefore less leverage and resources during negotiations with management than if they’d been part of much larger, more powerful unions.
Do you think American Pilots would be better off as part of the larger ALPA?
[polldaddy poll=9561279]