American Airlines pilots want a renegotiation after United's new labor deal

The tentative agreement reached in May between American Airlines and its pilots union is in jeopardy. 

In a public message to union members, Allied Pilots Association president Ed Sicher wrote that the tentative deal pales in comparison to the agreement-in-principal that United Airlines pilots reached with management over the weekend. 

“Our existing tentative agreement is woefully deficient by comparison and in need of significant improvements,” Sicher said. 

Sicher said he met Tuesday with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, who acknowledged that improvements must be made to the American-APA agreement. The sides committed to new, intensive negotiations this week, according to the APA president. 

“We’ll work with the APA to make sure our pilots are taken care of,” American said on Wednesday.

Under the existing four-year agreement-in-principle between the APA and American, pilots would receive a 21% pay raise on the day of signing and additional raises over the following four years. In total, the union estimates the contract will offer a 47% value increase to American pilots when it becomes amendable in 2027. That figure includes improved retirement, insurance and vacation benefits.

The tentative deal between United and its pilots includes a pay rate increase of 34.5% to 40.2% over the four-year lifespan of the deal as well as improvements to benefits and work conditions. 

Sicher said that United CEO Scott Kirby “found ways to address pay and quality-of-life items for his pilots that American CEO Robert Isom and his team have repeatedly told us were simply impossible to do here.” 

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