US Air bosses target pay, benefits
By David Dixon
US Airways chief executive Bruce Lakefield said he would ask
a bankruptcy court judge to slash union workers' pay by 23
percent and reduce or eliminate employee retirement benefits.
The company will also seek permission to hire outside workers
in the event of a strike. The airline was expected to file the
motion Sept. 24.
The pay and benefit cuts would affect 84 percent of the
airline's 34,000 employees and their families.
The Airline Pilots Association, the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the
Association of Flight Attendants have said they will fight the
cuts in court. The Communication Workers union, which
represents reservation takers and other ground employees, is
expected to do the same. Transport Workers Union Local 545 has
reached a tentative agreement accepting the bosses' cuts.
Meetings between US Airways and two other TWU locals will
continue.
This is yet another reason to organize for the Million
Worker March on Oct. 17 in Washington, D.C.
Reprinted from the Oct. 7, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page