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AFA US Airways MEC E-Line
for January 9x, 2004
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E-Line |
- US Airways Management Agrees to Expedited
Arbitration
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REMINDERS
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US Airways Management Agrees
to Expedited Arbitration
After Flight Attendants File Lawsuit
Washington, DC - After the union that represents the US
Airways flight attendants (the Association of Flight
Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO) filed a lawsuit to stop the illegal
process used in the involuntary furlough of 552 flight
attendants, airline management agreed to expedited arbitration
to resolve the issue.
"We already fought this battle with management once and
won," said AFA US Airways Master Executive Council
President Perry Hayes. "Management could make the
operation of its airline a lot easier by working with its
employees on tough issues, rather than fighting us on
everything."
In December, US Airways management announced that it was
involuntarily furloughing 552 flight attendants. According to
the collective bargaining agreement between AFA and US
Airways, before flight attendants are involuntarily
furloughed, the airline must first offer a voluntary furlough.
Once, during a furlough in June 2003, management attempted to
by-pass the voluntary process but was ultimately forced to
follow the contract after an arbitrator ruled in favor of the
flight attendants in an expedited process.
"Management agreed to this voluntary process as part of
the restructuring contract in which flight attendants
sacrificed over $101 million per year to help save this
airline," Hayes said. "It's in particularly bad
taste for airline management to break the deal in which the
flight attendants gave so much to the airline at the expense
of their own families."
On Jan. 8 AFA filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for
the Western District of Pennsylvania. After the suit was
filed, management agreed to expedited arbitration of the
dispute.
The arbitration will be heard on Jan. 14 before any of the
furloughs begin. If AFA prevails, US Airways will have to
first offer a voluntary furlough before anyone is
involuntarily put on the street. If not enough flight
attendants apply for a voluntary furlough then the remaining
furloughs will be made through the involuntary process.
More than 45,000 flight attendants, including the 5,200 flight
attendants at US Airways, join together to form AFA, the
world's largest flight attendant union. AFA is an affiliate of
the 700,000 member strong Communications Workers of America,
AFL-CIO.
REMINDERS:
Accessing The Hub:
http://thehub.usairways.com
Logging in the first time your user name is u0(zero) and your five digit employee number. Your initial password is the first five digits of your social security number. Questions about the Hub? Call 800-327-0117 and listen for the catcrew help desk prompts.
AFA Local Numbers
Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
Council 41 DCA 703-690-6859
Council 69 BOS 978-352-7401
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 201-803-6141
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325
New Hotline Number Toll Free: 866-USA-AFA2
US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780
Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com
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