Yesterday, negotiations for a first contract covering 3,800 Envoy-American Eagle agents at 94 US airports began in Texas. The agents are members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which also represents 14,000 passenger service agents at American Airlines, 3,500 Piedmont agents and Flight Attendants at Envoy who are members of the Association of Flight Attendants-AFA-CWA.
Last November, agents voted overwhelmingly for a CWA voice, so they could begin to close the wage and benefit gap between workers at regional airlines like Envoy-American Eagle and parent company American Airlines Group. Envoy agents claim their agents’ pay is less than half of mainline agents’ pay, and some Envoy agents qualify for food stamps because their wages are so low.