ST PAUL, Minn — As people prepare to travel this holiday, some American Airlines flight attendants are hitting the picket lines across the country.
Flight attendants took to the picket lines in 13 cities on Thursday, including Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), asked its mediators to enter a 30-day "cooling off" period on Friday.
Once the 30 days are up, 26,000 flight attendants could go on strike.
The last time American Airlines flight attendants went on strike was in 1993.
"I've spent half of my life with this company," said flight attendant Todd Smiertelny. "We're the face of the company and if we are American Airlines, you should treat us like American Airlines."
APFA says it hasn't had a raise since 2019 or a new contract since 2014.
The APFA also noted American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom, received a $2.75 million bonus and millions more in stock grants, according to a September 20 regulatory filing.
"Morale is low, we don't feel appreciated anymore," said Smiertelny. "Treat us like we make a difference and we will."
American Airlines is based in Texas, but there are dozens of flights out of Minneapolis every day to at least eight other cities. Smiertelny said it would "hurt the public tremendously" if the flight attendants went on strike.
"We want nothing more than the company to sit down and have serious talks to come to an agreement with our contract and avoid a strike altogether," said Smeirtelny.
In a statement, the airline said, “We continue to meet regularly with the APFA and remain focused on the goal of reaching a deal our flight attendants have earned."
The airline also said there's no possibility for a strike over the Thanksgiving and December holiday travel periods. It said national mediators first have to release both parties, followed by several more steps and then that cooling off period before a strike could begin. It reiterated a strike wouldn't happen this year.
"Ninety-seven percent of our workforce says they're ready," said Smeirtelny. "It's time."
No matter what happens, traveling over the holidays can be tricky. MSP says to keep things going smoothly, remember, there's a new, second cell phone waiting lot at the airport. You can pre-book your parking online and arrive two hours ahead of your flight.
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