Months ago, the management of American Airlines launched a program named me@work to evaluate flight attendants based on customer satisfaction, operational input, and delays. This initiative encountered pushback from the flight attendants’ union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents nearly 30,000 members. In retaliation, the union carried out its own survey, them@work, to assess management’s performance.
The findings from the survey were unfavorable towards management, with over 8,000 flight attendants taking part. Noteworthy outcomes included:
– 96.2% of participants believed management did not deliver the promised support and subject matter experts.
– 84.1% indicated a deficiency of in-person support from inflight managers at terminals.
– 81% admitted to fearing repercussions or criticism when attempting to excel for customers.
– 72.6% reported experiencing negative operational impacts due to excessive removals of flight attendants.
– 61.4% perceived inflight management as unsupportive.
The union stressed that the purpose of the survey was to hold management responsible and to instigate change. They received commitments from inflight management to lessen unnecessary meetings, which is expected to relieve staffing pressures and increase scheduling flexibility.
The union’s action was perceived as somewhat provocative, but considering management’s recent troubles, including financial challenges and a vote of no confidence from flight attendants, the adverse survey results were anticipated. Although participation was relatively low, the survey emphasized the necessity for improved relations between flight attendants and management to enhance the workplace and overall customer experience.
In conclusion, American Airlines’ management encountered backlash from its flight attendants through the them@work survey, highlighting ongoing conflicts and the urgent need for better support and empowerment for frontline staff.