Labor Problems At USAir... Who Knew?

The US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), representing the pilots of US Airways, have applied to the National Mediation Board (NMB) to request mediation of the currently single contract negotiations for all US Airways pilots. US Airways pilots work under two separate contracts, covering the pre-merger US Airways and former America West pilot groups.

The US Airways pilots entered contract negotiations with management in November 2005 under the terms of a Transition Agreement at the time of the US Airways and America West merger. In April, USAPA requested an NMB facilitator to assist the parties in reaching an agreement, but that proposal was rejected by US Airways.

“Our pilots have been laboring under substandard bankruptcy and ATSB-era contracts for years prior to the start of these negotiations, which have gone nowhere,” said Captain Mike Cleary, president of USAPA.

“After four fruitless years, we have determined that the current negotiations are hopelessly stalled. As we predicted in April, US Airways’ rejection of an NMB facilitator amounted to nothing more than a delay tactic, and we questioned then management’s sincerity in desiring to reach any agreement. Sure enough, seven months down the road, the US Airways pilots are hardly a step closer to an industry-standard contract.”

“Industry-standard pilot wages and working conditions will allow our company to compete on equal ground with other airlines,” President Cleary continued. “US Airways pilots have tired of the rhetoric and welcome the opportunity to negotiate under the auspices of NMB Mediation and the Railway Labor Act, where impasse allows us to persuade our company to do the right thing.”

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) represents more than 5,000 US Airways pilots in seven domiciles across the United States.

FMI: www.USAirlinePilots.org, www.nmb.gov