CHICAGO, Illinois: American Airlines pilots have voted to back a strike mandate ahead of the busy summer travel season, while Air Canada pilots voted to support a merger with a larger union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move by American Airlines pilots will further pressure the Texas-based carrier to negotiate a new contract, but the chances of an actual walk out remains slim due to the complex labor process in the US that makes it difficult for airline workers to strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even as the two sides closed in on an agreement in principle, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents some 15,000 American Airlines pilots, held a strike authorization vote, with more than 96 percent of members voting and over 99 percent of them voting in favor of a strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, American Airlines said, “We remain confident that an agreement for our pilots is within reach and can be finalized quickly. The finish line is in sight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that 84 percent of Air Canada’s 4,500 pilots voted for a March agreement to merge with the Air Line Pilots Association, the world’s largest pilots union with more than 60,000 members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As airlines struggle to rehire staff to meet soaring travel demand after the COVID-19 pandemic, North American pilots are aiming for better salaries and working conditions, but airline executives warn that raises will increase fixed costs and worsen debt-laden balance sheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n