By Matt Sepic, KWMU
Forth Worth, TX – American Airlines CEO Don Carty says the company will file bankruptcy unless its flight attendants' union approves $340-million in job and wage cuts.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants initially rejected the concessions, but agreed to extend voting until 5 p.m. Wednesday and allow members to change ballots.
The carrier said it could avoid Chapter 11 if unions representing flight attendants, pilots, and ground workers each agreed to cuts. The Allied Pilots Association and Transport Workers Union approved concessions.
Pilots' spokesman Keith O'Leary says if American goes bankrupt, more than 800 St. Louis-based pilots could be out of work.
"I think our feeling was we needed to do whatever we could to keep the airline out of bankruptcy within reason, and to do our part to aid in the restructuring of American Airlines," O'Leary said.
1,700 American flight attendants in St. Louis face unemployment regardless of the company's solvency.