"Strike talk intensifies at U.S. airlines"

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Strike talk intensifies at airlines
By Steve Halvonik
The Pittsburgh (PA) Tribune-Review


The war drums are hastening at US Airways in anticipation of next week's
hearings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to reject union contracts. 

Over the weekend, flight attendants groups at two other airlines --
Southwest, represented by the Transportation Workers Union; and American
Airlines, which has its own union -- said they would honor any nationwide
strike called over the termination of collective bargaining agreements. 

The mounting strike threats come on top of reported work slowdowns at
Philadelphia International Airport that could signal problems for
Thanksgiving travelers. 

Radio station KYW in Philadelphia said yesterday that US Airways' passengers
at Philadelphia were stranded at luggage carousels for hours the past
several Sundays when baggage handlers and mechanics -- both represented by
the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers -- called
in sick. 

US Airways spokesman David Castelveter acknowledged the employee slowdowns
in Philadelphia, KYW said. 

Amy Kudwa, a US Airways spokeswoman, declined to comment on reports of
sickouts in Philadelphia. But she did say that the airline had prepared
contingency plans for Thanksgiving weekend, typically the busiest travel
period of the year, 

Kudwa said US Airways had asked employees who aren't scheduled for work to
be on call for voluntary overtime duty in the event of further sickouts. 

Marick Masters, a University of Pittsburgh business professor, said that
sickouts and slowdowns are consistent with tactics that labor unions within
the airline industry have employed since 1990. 

"There has been a shift away from strikes and toward unofficial job
actions,'' Masters said. 

Southwest and American flight attendants' strike threats were in response to
a call last week by the Association of Flight Attendants for a nationwide
strike if any airline succeeds in terminating a labor contract. 

"We will not stand on the sidelines while airline executives misuse
bankruptcy courts to cover up their own mistakes and turn back the clock on
the progress that we have all achieved,'' said Thom McDaniel, president of
TWU Local 556 in Dallas. 

US Airways, which filed for bankruptcy protection Sept. 12, is the first
airline to seek rejection of all of its labor contracts. It has asked U.S.
Bankruptcy Judge Stephen S. Mitchell to impose $1 billion in wage and
benefit cuts on 28,000 union workers. 

Hearings begin Dec. 2 and are scheduled to continue until Dec. 17. Mitchell
may not rule on US Airways' request until early January. 

In anticipation of next week's hearings, 4,500 mechanics and 5,100
fleet-service workers at Pittsburgh International Airport, represented by
the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, are
planning bus trips to Alexandria. 

Local unions representing flight attendants and customer service agents may
join the IAM in sending employees to Virginia. Customer service agents,
represented by the Communications Workers of America, already have voted to
strike if their contract is rejected. 

Asked the purpose behind labor's mobilization, David Lolly, an officer with
IAM Airman Lodge 1044 in Pittsburgh, said, "What do you think?'' 

The purpose, as AFA international officers stated last week, is to give the
airline industry, US Airways and Mitchell something to think about.
Rejection of US Airways' union contracts, and judicial imposition of $1
billion in wage and benefit cuts the airline is seeking, could lead to a
crippling nationwide disruption of air transportation. 

"This could be a nasty mess,'' said Ronald Kuhlmann, vice president at R2A,
a transportation consultancy based in San Francisco. 

"If I were (US Airways and Mitchell), I certainly would be thinking about
this,'' Kuhlmann added. "I think their challenges are becoming more
complex.'' 

Kuhlmann said that US Airways' woes should serve as a warning to other
airlines. 

"They could have a dampening effect on the entire industry, not just
individual airlines,'' Kuhlmann said. 

A flight attendants' strike would be the first labor dispute in the airline
industry since United Airlines' mechanics staged a slowdown in July 2002,
according to the U.S. General Accounting Office. 

Concession talks between US Airways and its unions will continue this week,
although labor leaders continued to express doubts that consensual
agreements can be reached. They said the airline's demands remain too high. 

The company met yesterday with mechanics' representatives, and the two sides
are scheduled to talk again today. 

Frank Schifano, president of IAM Local 1976 in Pittsburgh and a member of
the mechanics' negotiating team, summed up yesterday's talks by saying: "Let
me put it this way -- they're slow.'' 

Talks with the flight attendants resume today. Teddy Xidas, president of AFA
Local 40 in Pittsburgh, said the two sides remained far apart on critical
issues. 

She said the company's $150 million demand still included elimination of
employees' defined-benefits pension plan and retiree medical coverage. The
company is offering flat $8,000 buyouts to all flight attendants -- the
equivalent of about three months' salary -- with no medical coverage. 

"We're willing to give the company what they need,'' Xidas said. "We are not
willing to give the company what it wants.''


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