American Airlines And Pilots Reach Agreement In Principle

This story was posted at 10:01 a.m. Friday and has been updated several times.

Allied Pilots Association and American Airlines have reached an agreement in principle.

“APA and American Airlines management reach agreement in principle,” said a message to pilots from APA on Friday morning.

“The APA negotiating committee and its American American Airlines management counterparts have reached an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement,” the message said.

The union’s negotiating committee will complete contractual language for all sections,related letters and an implementation schedule, the message said.. Then the committee will present the AIP to the union board of directors for consideration as a proposed tentative agreement, That presentation will occur at least seven days before the board meets to consider the deal.

In a prepared statement issued Friday morning, American said, “We’re pleased to have reached an agreement in principle on a new four-year contract with the Allied Pilots Association (APA) that provides our pilots with pay and profit sharing that match the top of the industry with improved quality-of-life provisions unique to American’s pilots.

“We have the best and most professional pilots in the business and like all American Airlines team members, they deserve to be paid well and competitively,” the carrier said.

In a message to pilots a week ago, APA President Ed Sicher wrote, “There are reports that the overall valuation of the contract would be the largest in the history of the airline industry – and they are accurate, as this agreement will be historic.

“Every pilot here knows that we are worth it, and we are definitely worth these final items we are focused on achieving,” Sicher wrote.

Among the last items negotiated was retroactive pay.

CEO Robert Isom said in March that matching Delta’s deal with its pilots would result in a contract worth more than $7 billion. “A deal like this would be a game changer for our pilots,” he said.

He said the total pay increase for American pilots would average 40 percent in the fourth year of the deal, which would cost the carrier $7 billion over the four-year period.