FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Capt. Dennis Tajer, 847-902-8481/Dan Koller, 817-302-2251
Allied Pilots Association Supports Railroad Workers
FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 16, 2022) – The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 14,000 pilots of American Airlines, voiced its support for the union-represented workers who operate the nation’s freight trains.
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced that a tentative agreement had been reached between rail companies and a group of unions, including the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers. According to media reports, the agreement would provide immediate 14% pay increases with 14% retro back to 2020. The agreement would retroactively run from 2020 through 2024, providing a total of raise of 24%, as well as improved working conditions and schedule flexibility. The tentative agreement must still be ratified by those unions’ members.
“These fellow union professionals who safely and reliably operate our nation’s critical rail system should be congratulated for their fortitude,” APA President Capt. Edward Sicher said. “Despite having to endure a long and arduous National Mediation Board process, these hard-working Americans’ lives will be greatly improved by the better pay and work rules in this agreement, should they approve it.”
The White House described the tentative agreement as “a win for tens of thousands of rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that America’s families and communities got deliveries of what have kept us going during these difficult years.” Similarly, thousands of APA pilots kept our country’s critical air transportation infrastructure moving during the pandemic, so we stand proudly with our rail union brothers and sisters.
APA has been negotiating a new contract with American Airlines for more than three years, with better pay and more flexible scheduling being two of the primary enhancements sought at the bargaining table. Pilots at several other carriers – including Delta, Southwest, and United – are engaged in concurrent negotiations, and unrealistic schedules have been a common theme at pilots’ picketing events nationwide.
“The tentative agreement announced yesterday gives hope to our pilots that when we stand in unity with steadfast resolve – fighting for what we’ve earned and for what is fair – good things can happen for all stakeholders,” Capt. Sicher said. “We are inspired by the rail workers’ perseverance, belief in themselves, and confidence that they are worth more.”
Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org.