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Communications Workers of America Seeks Mediation in Bargaining Dispute with US Airways: Cites Impas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Communications Workers of America today asked the National Mediation Board to assign a federal mediator to help resolve a bargaining impasse in talks for US Airways passenger service agents at the airline's Dividend Miles Service Center in Winston-Salem and its Baggage Call Center in Pittsburgh.
Key issues in the dispute include the airline management's substandard wage proposal for these agents as well as its insistence on contract language that would allow it to eliminate their jobs and subcontract the work.
The approximately 160 employees in Winston-Salem, who handle dividend awards and customer questions concerning the frequent flier program, and another 50 in Pittsburgh who trace lost baggage, earn a top rate of $16 an hour as compared to more than $21 an hour for the 11,000 other passenger service agents CWA represents. The other agents covered by CWA's contract also are protected against subcontracting of their work.
CWA charged that US Airways has refused the union's offer to turn the issues over to an impartial arbitrator.
"The talks have dragged on for six months over issues that could be quickly resolved, and now the workers' future is at stake with the pending merger of US Airways and United," said CWA President Morton Bahr. "We're determined that they must have the protection of a union contract before any merger takes place."
If mediation is not successful, CWA could petition to be released from the process and allowed to take job actions up to and including a strike.
Key issues in the dispute include the airline management's substandard wage proposal for these agents as well as its insistence on contract language that would allow it to eliminate their jobs and subcontract the work.
The approximately 160 employees in Winston-Salem, who handle dividend awards and customer questions concerning the frequent flier program, and another 50 in Pittsburgh who trace lost baggage, earn a top rate of $16 an hour as compared to more than $21 an hour for the 11,000 other passenger service agents CWA represents. The other agents covered by CWA's contract also are protected against subcontracting of their work.
CWA charged that US Airways has refused the union's offer to turn the issues over to an impartial arbitrator.
"The talks have dragged on for six months over issues that could be quickly resolved, and now the workers' future is at stake with the pending merger of US Airways and United," said CWA President Morton Bahr. "We're determined that they must have the protection of a union contract before any merger takes place."
If mediation is not successful, CWA could petition to be released from the process and allowed to take job actions up to and including a strike.
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