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Agents Press US Airways on Labor Cost Demands
CWA local union presidents representing passenger service agents at US Airways are continuing to press management for a good faith response to the detailed proposals the union has made in response to the airline's call for cost reductions.
A petition to US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield, signed by more than 2,000 agents so far and presented to management at the most recent meeting, points out that agents have made "more than our share of sacrifices over the years to save our airline."
"The proposals you have made to our group are disrespectful and insulting. We will not take our families into bankruptcy, but that is the only possible outcome of your proposal," the petition said.
CWA has called on US Airways to demonstrate how operating costs and other management costs will be cut, instead of only looking to employees for reductions.
US Airways has said it must reduce costs to avoid bankruptcy and put the business on a more sound footing. Union represented employees at US Airways-flight attendants, members of AFA-CWA, agents, mechanics and pilots-have already contributed $1.3 billion in concessions to save the airline.
CWA has made three written, detailed cost reduction proposals that would save US Airways millions of dollars, but management has failed to respond to these specific changes, the union charged.
Instead, management continues to demand radical cuts in employee income and benefits, based on a hybrid of working conditions, wages and benefits at America West and Jet Blue. "Management's proposals would, among other things, cut employee take-home pay by about 50 percent," CWA local presidents said in a message to US Airways members.
CWA has proposed an early out buyout plan, designed to reduce costs by reducing seniority, and a revised Work at Home program for reservations agents that would reduce costs by eliminating overhead. CWA proposals also included establishment of an "X" scale, used for vacancies filled as a result of the buyout plan and based on the Southwest Airlines scale.
Also proposed were modifications to the current "scope of work" contract language that would expand coverage of work and provide additional job security for members. CWA has demonstrated to US Airways management that CWA agents are fully competitive in terms of salaries and productivity with the airline's main competitors. The union produced an analysis that shows Southwest Airlines' cost per agent to be significantly higher than at US Airways, nearly $6,000 this year and nearly $12,000 in 2006.
In separate talks, flight attendants, represented by AFA-CWA, also are taking on management's demands for drastic and one-sided wage and benefit concessions.
A petition to US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield, signed by more than 2,000 agents so far and presented to management at the most recent meeting, points out that agents have made "more than our share of sacrifices over the years to save our airline."
"The proposals you have made to our group are disrespectful and insulting. We will not take our families into bankruptcy, but that is the only possible outcome of your proposal," the petition said.
CWA has called on US Airways to demonstrate how operating costs and other management costs will be cut, instead of only looking to employees for reductions.
US Airways has said it must reduce costs to avoid bankruptcy and put the business on a more sound footing. Union represented employees at US Airways-flight attendants, members of AFA-CWA, agents, mechanics and pilots-have already contributed $1.3 billion in concessions to save the airline.
CWA has made three written, detailed cost reduction proposals that would save US Airways millions of dollars, but management has failed to respond to these specific changes, the union charged.
Instead, management continues to demand radical cuts in employee income and benefits, based on a hybrid of working conditions, wages and benefits at America West and Jet Blue. "Management's proposals would, among other things, cut employee take-home pay by about 50 percent," CWA local presidents said in a message to US Airways members.
CWA has proposed an early out buyout plan, designed to reduce costs by reducing seniority, and a revised Work at Home program for reservations agents that would reduce costs by eliminating overhead. CWA proposals also included establishment of an "X" scale, used for vacancies filled as a result of the buyout plan and based on the Southwest Airlines scale.
Also proposed were modifications to the current "scope of work" contract language that would expand coverage of work and provide additional job security for members. CWA has demonstrated to US Airways management that CWA agents are fully competitive in terms of salaries and productivity with the airline's main competitors. The union produced an analysis that shows Southwest Airlines' cost per agent to be significantly higher than at US Airways, nearly $6,000 this year and nearly $12,000 in 2006.
In separate talks, flight attendants, represented by AFA-CWA, also are taking on management's demands for drastic and one-sided wage and benefit concessions.