Union Action Wins Jobs At US Airways

Action by union-represented agents at US Airways resulted in management's hiring of more than 1,000 workers to address serious understaffing at airports.

A meltdown in the computer reservations system last spring caused long customer lines and other problems at several airports; CWA and the Teamsters which jointly represent about 8,000 agents at the merged airline, called on US Airways' chief executive officer to restore customer service staffing levels to help relieve an overburdended workforce.

CWA President Larry Cohen and IBT President James P. Hoffa urged on US Airways to fix the system that has become "intolerable for customers and agents."

CWA also is challenging management over mandatory overtime, especially at airports that continue to be understaffed.