An American Airlines flight takes off from LAX on April 23. (Photo by Justin Sullivan)

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American Airlines pilot union leadership is expected to hear a report this afternoon on the proposed merger with the Air Line Pilots Association. The report from the merger committee apparently indicates that some pilots, who previously backed a merger, have turned against it.

American’s 16,000 pilots are members of the Allied Pilots Association, while ALPA represents about 80,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. A group called AA Pilots for ALPA emerged in 2022, seeking to have the APA board of directors form a committee to review whether to merge. The APA board has 20 members, two from each domicile. Some current members have been elected due to their pro-ALPA positions.

The report is expected to include results from a survey showing that pilots in nine of the ten domiciles have turned against the merger, reversing previous positions. A total of 901 pilots were polled by the University of New Hampshire. The report “shows a very clear trend line, that the desire for a merger has rapidly declined,” said an American pilot who asked not to be named. “As more information comes out, fewer pilots are in favor of a merger.”

For instance, in Dallas, support has declined to 31% from 44%, while in Charlotte support has declined to 38% from 47%, according to the survey. In Phoenix, support declined to 50% from 67%, making Phoenix the only domicile where support is above 49%.

A vote could be taken Wednesday on a resolution that would reduce the threshold for voting on a merger to 50% plus one of the pilots voting, rather than 50% plus one of all pilots. “That would mean an engaged majority would be dictating what the union is, instead of a majority of the class and craft,” said Ed Sicher, a Miami pilot who was APA president for two years.

Sicher was elected in 2022 expecting to serve a three-year-term, but he was removed by the board in 2024 because he opposed ALPA. As president, Sicher presided over negotiations that led to the August 2023 approval of a four-year contract, valued at $9.6 billion, that raised wages about 40% over four years.

He was removed nonetheless. “It was a visceral reaction,” he said. Some pilots “credited ALPA with gains in contract negotiations. It wasn’t ALPA: It was just the time and place.” In particular, American “was going to pay regional pilots what it took,” which led younger mainline pilots and others to back ALPA, he said. But “Now that we’ve done some due diligence, the reality is that we would pay more in dues and get less in services” if ALPA took over.

“Our board of directors is lagging this flag,” said Sicher, anticipating that the board might approve the lower voting threshold.

The key issue in the reversal of support for ALPA appears to be that dues could rise while financial support for APA provided services would decline.

“The math presents a significant challenge,” said a February report to members by DCA domicile Chairman Chris Wachter. “Even if we increased dues for American Airlines pilots by 40% (to a 1.4% rate), the American Airlines MEC will still operate at a $16 million deficit – roughly 43% of our required operating budget.

Wachter wrote, “The deficit exists because of the robust high touch services APA provides,” particularly an aeromedical department that assists pilots who need medical certification as well as analysis and information on benefits, scheduling trip trading and safety measures.

American pilots currently pay annual dues $57.5 million, or 1% of their pay. Were they to join ALPA, Wachter said, they would pay $80 million annually or 1.4% of their pay. Of that, $43 million would go to ALPA, leaving just $37 million available for the APA services, potentially meaning dramatic cuts would be required.