Piedmont Passenger Service Agents Ratify New Contract

Piedmont Airlines passenger service agents represented by the Communications Workers of America ratified a new five-year contract today.

The agreement covers 6,000 agents in 28 states at the American Airlines subsidiary, and provides significant improvements in the collective bargaining agreement, including wage increases across the board and new defined pay scales.

Contract highlights include:

• Defined pay scales with guaranteed 3 percent increases. Wages at the top of the scales in the first year of the contract range from $16 to $20, depending on location. In the final year of the contract, the top wage range is $17.25 to $21.75.
• A lump sum payment equal to 6% of the employee's 2017 W-2 earnings for agents with at least one year of completed service.
• Improvements in shift trade, mandatory overtime and training policies.
• Enhancements to vacation time policies for part-time employees
• Stronger healthcare benefits.

Piedmont Agents have been in negotiations for a new contract with the company since November 2016. The new agreement was reached with the involvement of the National Mediation Board after agents voted against ratification of an earlier tentative contract.

"I'm proud of our bargaining team and our members who were determined to fight for improvements at American Airlines," said Richard Honeycutt, Vice President of CWA District 3 and Chair of CWA's Passenger Service Airline Council. "We must build on our progress and strengthen our union so that the company treats passenger service agents with the respect they deserve."