Merger: US Airways Members Have CWA Protection

If the announced sale of US Airways to United Airlines goes through, the 10,000 CWA members at US Airways have full, guaranteed seniority protections under their first contract negotiated last year. CWA’s contract at US Airways is the only one at the airline to include the seniority safeguards as a prior condition of merger or sale, CWA President Morton Bahr said in a message to passenger service members.

United’s bid to buy US Airways still must be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice and federal regulators, and be approved by shareholders. The merger, if approved, would form the nation’s largest airline, with revenues of $26.7 billion and some 146,000 employees.

Bahr stressed that CWA will be closely monitoring the situation and will be working to fully protect the rights and interests of passenger service employees. United management has indicated there would be no furloughs for two years. However, CWA’s passenger service members have full seniority protections in the event that layoffs do take place, he said.

CWA members at US Airways already have the best wages and contract in the industry, with the June pay raise bringing the top agent/representative salary rate to $21.08 an hour, about $2 an hour more than United agents.