Southwest Attendants Back Counterparts

Tuesday April 17, 5:47 pm ET

Southwest Flight Attendants Back Fellow Attendants at American in Bonus Flap

DALLAS (AP) — Leaders of Southwest Airlines Co.'s flight attendants said Tuesday that they support counterparts at American Airlines in a dispute over management bonuses at American.

Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents more than 9,000 Southwest flight attendants, said it would blast American's executives with e-mails protesting the bonuses and ask members to join American employees on picket lines.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American's flight attendants, are protesting stock-based awards for nearly 900 managers and executives that could total about $165 million. The awards will be distributed based on Wednesday's closing stock price of AMR Corp., which owns American.

Shares of American rose 24 cents, or 0.79 percent, to close at $30.81 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. They have traded in a 52-week range of $18.78 to $41.00.

"Our members are stunned and angered by the size of the stock giveaways to American's executives," said Thom McDaniel, the president of the Southwest workers' union. He said American's employees weren't sharing in the gains as the airline's financial health improves.

"American's executives are an example of everything that is wrong with airline labor relations, and it's time to take a stand," McDaniel said.