Apr 17, 2008 9:02 am US/Pacific
U.S. Airways Pilots Switch Unions Over Dispute
PHOENIX (AP) ―
Frustrated by an internal dispute over seniority, US Airways pilots on Thursday ousted their union of 59 years and agreed to be represented by another group.
The rare decertification election, supervised by the federal National Mediation Board, gave the fledgling US Airline Pilots Association the right to represent the 5,300 pilots in US Airways' system.
The group was created and supported mostly by pilots from the former, Virginia-based US Airways who clashed with other pilots after their carrier was acquired by America West in 2005.
Their struggles have become a cautionary tale as a new wave of combination talks sweep through the industry.
Though the Tempe, Ariz.-based carrier's profit surged in the first year after the combination, problems among its pilots have continued to fester.
Pilots have said that disagreements over seniority have led to shouting matches in airport terminals. Supporters of rival pilot unions, the Air Line Pilots Association and the US Airline Pilots Association, have sent each other threatening e-mails, engaged in at least one shoving match and called each other to the parking lot to settle their arguments.
Seniority is extremely important for pilots. Their place in the company pecking order decides what planes they can fly, what routes they'll take, and when they can go on vacation.
Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. hoped their pilots would agree on seniority before announcing plans to join forces earlier this week. But Northwest pilots refused to go along and the companies moved ahead without a pilot agreement.
US Airways Group Inc. has agreed to contracts with all of its employee groups except pilots, flight attendants and baggage and ramp employees. The baggage and ramp employee union signed off on a tentative agreement last week.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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