Negotiating Committee Update – June 7, 2025
Fellow Pilots,
It has been brought to our attention that certain individuals have claimed to have “leaked” the Tentative Agreement (TA) language regarding management’s ability to monitor and track you through your personal electronic devices. On these unofficial chats and forums, several of these individuals infer that this information was provided to them directly by Mr. John Owens, an American Airlines pilot and former member of our Negotiating Committee.
Their claim that the shared language is from a Tentative Agreement between the parties is patently false. The language that was publicly shared is not the TA. Any claims that it is “what the previous Negotiating Committee (NC) members agreed to” is completely false.
The following is the actual language that was TAd. Take particular note that although some of the words may appear similar to what was shared, the language is materially different. This language eliminates virtually all rights and protections for the pilot, grants new expansive management rights, is unilaterally permissive, and full of loopholes which management could easily exploit. We further expand upon on these below.
In the actual agreed language:
-
- The company can force pilots to download applications onto their personal electronic devices without their consent. The pilot nor the Union has any right or authority to reject it – management only has to give 30 days notice before implementation.
- The company can track and monitor you through those forced applications, with no limitations on what data or hardware they can access. GPS location, microphone, camera, app and browser history, and other personal data are all subject to monitoring and tracking at management’s discretion. [Loophole] Further, if the forced application does not have “location tracking” ability, then any and all data harvested through that application can be used by management for disciplinary purposes without limitation, up to and including termination.
- If the pilot voluntarily downloads any application, management may use any and all information harvested for disciplinary purposes without limitation, up to and including termination. As with PingID and RSA, choosing not to “voluntarily” download an application is often so cumbersome and operationally inconvenient that those applications become virtually obligatory.
- Your current CBA rights in Section 14 to not disclose your whereabouts and location to management while on rest or Days Off is now null and void.
- This language sets a new precedent for expansive management rights regarding your personal electronic devices, personal data, and other personal property.
This language is weak, permissive, and a violation of your basic privacy rights in a manner that no other airline in America does. For reference, at jetBlue management is not allowed to access your personal data on a company provided device, much less your personal cellphone.
As most of you are well aware, the company will exploit every ambiguous phrase or loophole in our contract to their benefit. This language, should it remain, will be no exception. Unilateral work rule changes, base closure MOUs, and nearly 6,000 grievances tell the story better than we ever could. Simple, enforceable language that protects your rights and defines the terms of your labor are critical to any functional contract; they should be non-negotiable in ours.
As always, we ask for your patience and trust as we work to bring these negotiations to a fair and swift conclusion for both parties. We strongly suggest ignoring rumors on unofficial communications platforms and go to the source for the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Thank you for your continued support.
We look forward to promptly delivering an agreement worthy of your consideration and vote.
In Unity,
Captain Joshua Allen
Negotiating Committee Chairman
Captain Jay Killen
Pilot Negotiator
Captain Brad Keller
Pilot Negotiator
Captain J.R. Lynch
NC Chief of Staff
Captain Jim Cole
Recording Analyst