While the signing bonus is increased and the pay raise upped from 3.5 percent to 6 percent, most of the concessions that led workers to reject the company's contract offer by 75 percent in July remain intact. The proposed percentage of part-time utility (cleaners) has shifted slightly from 35 percent per station to one-third of full-time workers per shift, excluding third shift. But these new workers could work as many hours as full-time workers through trades and overtime, but with part-time status and benefits.

"Thirty three percent part-time is a strike issue — one is too many," commented Ken Messersmith, a fleet service worker in Pittsburgh. Fleet service — that is ramp and catering workers — fought to reduce the percentage of part-time during their five-year-long negotiations for a contract, which was approved earlier this year.

Mandatory overtime for deicing is still a part of this proposal, cushioned by a list of "compelling reasons" management may consider in excusing workers from staying.

And "pay parity" remains, tying future pay adjustments to a formula based on wages at US Airways's major competitors. The parity scam ensures that the immediate 6 percent raise would be the only one over the five-year life of the proposed contract. It has been four and a half years since the last pay increase.

Will Brundage, a cleaner in Philadelphia, started work at US Airways more than two years ago. Under the new proposal he would make $9.04 an hour until next July. "Why do they think we can work a job that pays $9 an hour after two years?" he asked. A decade ago cleaners starting out at US Airways made just under $11 an hour; with this new proposal, it would be $8.30.

Mechanics at the top of the pay scale would make $24.36 under the proposed agreement, in addition to increases in hourly premiums for the licenses they hold. This has prompted some of them to look favorably on the agreement, avoiding the serious concessions that it presents for all 7,000 workers covered under the contract. Others view this differently. "They're gearing this contract toward mechanics," said Mac Ford, a mechanic in Philadelphia. "I don't think we should allow part-time to come in. They're trying to turn mechanics and utility against each other."

Leading up to the September 26 strike deadline, which came at the end of the 30-day cooling off period mandated by federal law, workers here began to get a feel for the kind of united fight possible. Even the pro-business Wall Street Journal took note of what the carrier was up against in their September 21 article headlined, "US Airways Ramp Workers May Honor Looming Strike by Carrier's Mechanics." The article pointed to the sharp difference between this possible strike and the only other one ever at US Airways, the four-day walkout in 1992, when the company reportedly operated 55 percent of its flights.

"Now, however, the 6,200 ramp workers have an IAM contract that gives them the right to honor a legal strike by other workers. The IAM has $126 million in its strike fund. The 10,000 customer-service agents now are members of the Communications Workers of America." And the flight attendants, the article continues "may have political reasons for supporting a mechanics' walkout" because they have been in negotiations for more than three years. The article concludes with a quote from a travel agent about a possible strike: "If US Air goes down, the whole Northeast will go into extreme turmoil. It will be a disaster."

Even though the IAM strike deadline was averted September 26, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), representing 8,300 members at US Airways, went ahead with special meetings scheduled in its base cities to discuss support for a possible maintenance strike.

The AFA marked 1,000 days without a contract September 27 with informational picketing and leafleting in their base cities on the East Coast. "We made sacrifices for the airline in bad times. Now that US Airways is making billions, we want our fair share," explained a bright green flyer headlined, "CHAOS Could be Coming to US Airways." CHAOS — Create Havoc Around Our System — is a "strike action that could take many forms" after flight attendants are released for a 30-day cooling off period if there continues to be no progress in negotiations.

In Pittsburgh, 150 flight attendants picketed at the airport terminal and three other ticket counters in the city. Airport officials tried to limit the action to five pickets in a small area, but dozens of other AFA members walked around the ticketing area in fluorescent green T-shirts with "CHAOS" across the front. Similar actions took place in Charlotte; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and several other cities. At the Philadelphia airport, some 25 flight attendants chanted and distributed flyers to passengers. Their signs called for better working conditions and pay, and warned: "Without a contract, will you get there?"

Rebecca Arenson and Nancy Cole are members of the IAM at US Airways in Philadelphia. IAM member Dave Welters in Pittsburgh contributed to this article.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home