American Airlines offers flight attendants immediate 17% wage hikes amid contract talks

American Airlines flight attendants' union said no to a 17% pay raise proposal. The CEO offered this raise to avoid a strike. The airline and the union can't agree on pay and other important matters. Flight attendants haven't had a raise since before the pandemic. The CEO mentioned progress but said there's still a lot of work to do. They will meet with mediators next week to try to make a deal and avoid a strike. Strikes are rare in airlines. If no deal is reached, mediators will step in, which could take weeks. The CEO offered the raise without asking for anything in return. The union president thinks the focus should be on a long-term deal. Airline pilots settled their contracts last year, but flight attendants at American, United, and Alaska Airlines are still negotiating. Negotiations started in January 2020, paused during the pandemic, and resumed in June 2021. American Airlines wants to make a deal now. Over 23,000 flight attendants are represented by the union. They are preparing for a possible strike. Other airlines like United, Alaska, and Frontier are also negotiating new contracts. Southwest Airlines flight attendants recently agreed to a new contract with pay increases and better working conditions.