American Air, Attendants to Resume Talks

Contract talks to avert a potentially crippling July 1 strike by American Airlines’ 23,000 flight attendants resume this week under a cloud of speculation over whether the White House will intervene to bar the union from walking out.

American and the Assn. of Professional Flight Attendants need to bridge a gap the union puts at about $200 million, mainly in pay raises and related benefits, when they sit down again Wednesday with federal mediators in Washington.

“We are confident of reaching an agreement with American before the strike deadline. But we are ready to strike if we have to,” said APFA spokeswoman Lori Bassani.

If no agreement is reached by July 1, union members have authorized a walkout that could ground American’s 2,400 daily domestic and international flights just as vacation travelers head out during the busy Fourth of July holiday period.

The airline has said it has offered “the best overall flight attendant contract package in the industry,” including a 21.6% increase in base pay over six years, profit sharing and a 3% signing bonus.

But the union has said the proposed base pay falls short of what Delta Air Lines pays its flight attendants and that quality-of-life issues, including scheduling and crew rest, remain unresolved.

Though management says it is confident President Bush will use emergency powers to halt a strike, flight attendants note Bush has not announced his intention to do so, although he has said he would not allow strike disruptions at major airlines this summer.