American Airlines Pilots Blast Return of ‘Toxic Culture’
- Union says American product is `outright embarrassing'
- Company says `well aware' that cultural change is needed
American Airlines planes parked at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergAmerican Airlines Group Inc.’s pilots union, an early backer of the carrier’s merger with US Airways, blasted the return of “toxic” labor relations, a substandard product and violations of their contract.
American executives can no longer rely on the excuse that they need more time to bring everything into order since the two companies merged in December 2013, the Allied Pilots Association board of directors said in a March 4 letter to Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker. Many of the airline’s middle managers are “misaligned” with Parker’s call at a recent leadership conference for better labor relations that will bring all employees in line with a push to make American the best airline, the letter said.