Airline Unions Call for Prompt Action on US Airways-American Merger

Unions representing 70,000 workers at US Airways and American Airlines called on the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Department of Justice to move quickly to trial so that the merger decision could be made without delay.

The unions are CWA, AFA-CWA, the Transport Workers Union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), and the U.S. Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), representing Flight Attendants, passenger service employees, mechanics, technicians, aircraft dispatchers, pilots and others.

The Department of Justice is seeking to block the merger, as are the attorneys general of six states. CWA leaders Veda Shook, president of AFA-CWA, and Ed Mooney, CWA District 2-13 vice president, met with the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, pointing out that the merger would result in good jobs for 9,100 Pennsylvanians and that Pennsylvania consumers would benefit from enhanced air service. The DOJ lawsuit maintains that US Airways and American have too much overlap in their route networks, but the airlines note that only 12 of their nonstop routes are similar.

The letter from the unions to the DOJ said:

We urge the U.S. District Court and the Department of Justice to begin the trial on November 12, 2013 in order to get to a speedy resolution to this exciting merger. Our message to consumers everywhere is simple: "Let us compete for your business" starting as soon as possible. Our members want a fair shot at competing in the marketplace. The airlines we work for, US Airways and American Airlines, can together succeed in a way that neither airline can alone, bringing new competition to the domestic and international airlines that serve Americans. The improved network and higher quality product will attract new customers, allowing the airlines to compete with the megacarriers in a way neither airline can do alone, creating greater job security for our members as a result.

Delaying a trial puts our families and our customers at further risk. For American and its employees, the uncertainty of the last two years in bankruptcy has already exacted a heavy toll. Employees at US Airways have had similar hardships with two bankruptcies since 9-11. In order to make new American competitive, that uncertainly should be ended as soon as possible.

The livelihoods of hard-working aviation professionals at American and US Airways hang in the balance. Jobs are at stake if this merger does not go through. For our members, job security that comes with truly competitive airlines is on hold as we wait for trial. Our members have borne the brunt of the severe turbulence in the aviation industry. Justice delayed is justice denied for our members. This merger makes sense for competition, customers, and the members we represent who want nothing more than to compete aggressively on a level playing field to serve those customers.