DALLAS (AP) – Customer-service agents at American Airlines have voted overwhelmingly to join a union and reverse a “no” vote in 2013.
Federal labor officials announced the results Tuesday in voting that covered about 14,000 employees at airports and reservations centers and home-based agents.
About 86 percent of those voting favored representation by the Communications Workers of America and the Teamsters. The CWA lost a previous election in January 2013 by about 150 votes.
CWA President Larry Cohen says the difference in the outcome is that unlike previous management, American’s current executives did not campaign against the union.
Negotiations on a contract covering wages and other items are expected to begin this fall.
In other news Tuesday, the Natonal Mediation Board ruled that the Allied Pilots Association, which represented American Airlines pilots before American’s merger with US Airways, will represent all pilots at the merged airline. US Airways pilots had been represented by US Airline Pilots Association.