American Airlines’ Flight Attendants Union President Resigns

Laura Glading, president of the flight attendants union at American Airlines, is stepping down.

In a letter to the union's board of directors, Glading submitted her resignation, effective Dec. 2, 2015. Glading also posted the full letter on her Facebook page.

Glading was first elected president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants nearly eight years ago, in 2008. She faced a possible recall election before her current term's expiration in early 2016.

Glading wrote that although she did not intend to run for another term, she chose to step down in order to prevent the turmoil of a costly recall election.

“Today our voice is not unified and I believe some appear to have lost sight of our duty to represent and advocate for our fellow Flight Attendants,” Glading said Saturday evening in her resignation letter to the board.

Glading led American’s flight attendants through the Fort Worth-based airlines’ bankruptcy and its merger with US Airways. She has faced mounting criticism from union members for losing their profit-sharing against American’s new management, according to our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

Flight attendants plan to picket in front of the APFA’s headquarters in Euless tomorrow and Tuesday, when the union board meets, The Dallas Morning News reported.