Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
Agents, Flight Attendants Fight Extreme Demands by US Airways
CWA and AFA-CWA are fighting back against the staggering demands that US Airways management is making of passenger service agents, flight attendants and other union workers.
Management is demanding devastating cuts from agents, seeking to cut wages by 34 percent and to further slash benefits and working conditions. Management also is demanding the right to contract out all agents' jobs.
Agents are voting whether to authorize a strike or other legal work action at the airline if negotiations fail to reach a fair contract. Ballots are in the mail to 6,000 active agents, with the vote to be counted in mid-November.
CWA local union presidents at US Airways said the strike vote will demonstrate agents' solid support for CWA negotiators. "The goal of the CWA negotiating team is to reach a fair agreement that agents can ratify, an agreement that maintains our pay and our standard of living. We need to take a stand to support our contract and our careers," they said in a mailing to members.
The local presidents also countered management's claims that talk of strike action would harm the airline.
"Management has been talking about liquidation and a drop off in sales for months. That's what is harmful to our airline," they said.
Like passenger agents, flight attendants, members of AFA-CWA, had a 21 percent wage cut imposed by US Airways management, with the approval of the bankruptcy court. AFA-CWA has asked the judge to reconsider this decision. "US Airways is saving an extra $3.9 million a month" by not paying into the pension plan as required by law and AFA-CWA collective bargaining agreement, the union said. AFA-CWA called on the court to reduce the pay cut to reflect this additional cost savings.
CWA, AFA-CWA and the Machinists are continuing to negotiate with the airline, although management has threatened workers that it will seek approval of the bankruptcy court to throw out the existing collective bargaining agreements if new long-term settlements are not reached by mid-November.
At the bargaining table and in leafleting at major airports, passenger service agents have pointed out the great discrepancy between the 34 percent wage cut management has demanded of agents - that would reduce the immediate top pay rate of agents to $13.62 - and the 5 percent pay cut taken by management that was offset by an average 4 percent increase awarded earlier this year.
Management is demanding devastating cuts from agents, seeking to cut wages by 34 percent and to further slash benefits and working conditions. Management also is demanding the right to contract out all agents' jobs.
Agents are voting whether to authorize a strike or other legal work action at the airline if negotiations fail to reach a fair contract. Ballots are in the mail to 6,000 active agents, with the vote to be counted in mid-November.
CWA local union presidents at US Airways said the strike vote will demonstrate agents' solid support for CWA negotiators. "The goal of the CWA negotiating team is to reach a fair agreement that agents can ratify, an agreement that maintains our pay and our standard of living. We need to take a stand to support our contract and our careers," they said in a mailing to members.
The local presidents also countered management's claims that talk of strike action would harm the airline.
"Management has been talking about liquidation and a drop off in sales for months. That's what is harmful to our airline," they said.
Like passenger agents, flight attendants, members of AFA-CWA, had a 21 percent wage cut imposed by US Airways management, with the approval of the bankruptcy court. AFA-CWA has asked the judge to reconsider this decision. "US Airways is saving an extra $3.9 million a month" by not paying into the pension plan as required by law and AFA-CWA collective bargaining agreement, the union said. AFA-CWA called on the court to reduce the pay cut to reflect this additional cost savings.
CWA, AFA-CWA and the Machinists are continuing to negotiate with the airline, although management has threatened workers that it will seek approval of the bankruptcy court to throw out the existing collective bargaining agreements if new long-term settlements are not reached by mid-November.
At the bargaining table and in leafleting at major airports, passenger service agents have pointed out the great discrepancy between the 34 percent wage cut management has demanded of agents - that would reduce the immediate top pay rate of agents to $13.62 - and the 5 percent pay cut taken by management that was offset by an average 4 percent increase awarded earlier this year.