IAM Workgroups Approve New Contracts With American Airlines

(RTTNews) - American Airlines Group (AAL) said that Mechanics and Related, Fleet Service, and Maintenance Training Specialists workgroups at US Airways, represented by the International Association of Machinists or IAM, ratified three collective bargaining agreements today covering more than 11,000 employees. The agreements will remain in effect for the US Airways employees until a joint collective bargaining agreement covering the 30,000 employees of the new American Airlines has been reached.

"We want to thank the International Association of Machinists leadership and negotiators for their professionalism and hard work on behalf of their members. We would also like to express our appreciation to the National Mediation Board, Board Member Linda Puchala and Mediator Walter Darr for their assistance in reaching these agreements. These agreements will allow us to focus on the next steps for integrating our airlines, and we can now start the process of bringing these employee groups together with their co-workers from American through joint collective bargaining agreements," said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of American Airlines.

The company noted that the ratification continues progress on labor agreements at American Airlines since the merger with US Airways closed on December 9, 2013. Negotiations for joint flight attendant and pilot agreements are underway, and processes are in place to ensure that joint collective bargaining agreements for those groups will be reached soon.