Says Integration Of Two Workforces Could Take Seven Years

Steve Wallach is a 747 captain for United Airlines. Last October, he was also elected chairman of the United Airlines Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, part of a new executive staff expected to take a hard line in negotiations with executives whose salaries and bonuses have incensed pilots who took pay cuts during bankruptcy.

Wallach's election also got him a seat on the airline's board of directors. Since talk of a merger between United and US Airways first surfaced, Wallach has been articulate in explaining why, from the union's perspective, combining the companies would be a disaster.

Responding to statements Tuesday by flight attendant groups from both airlines opposing the merger, Wallach said again Wednesday that a merger should be a last resort, and warned it could take the airlines as long as seven years to fully integrate pilot groups from United and US Airways... especially given that US Airways has yet to successfully integrate with its last merger partner, America West.

The Associated Press reports the unions released statements as Chicago-based United and US Airways Group Inc. continue talks about a merger that could create the world's largest airline. A decision is expected within a few days.

Wallach also disputed analyst predictions that a United/US Airways merger could result in substantial cost reductions, especially if labor issues go unresolved for years, as he expects. "Moreover, we believe there are a number of operational issues at United that need to be addressed, and that it is a mistake to sit idly by waiting for a merger to bail us out," he said.

The US Airline Pilots Association, newly-elected to represent pilots at US Airways, has so far been quiet about the proposed merger. Some America West pilots have come out in favor, but that group doesn't speak for all pilots.

Others say a combined US Airways/United Airlines would be hampered by several overlapping routes -- a problem Delta Air Lines and Northwest have largely avoided, thanks to complimentary route networks -- and could face tough scrutiny from lawmakers.

FMI: www.united.com, www.usairways.com, www.alpa.org, www.usairlinepilots.org