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America West pilots seek pay for efforts toward merger
Thomas Olson can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7854.
Leaders of the Air Line Pilots Association's America West unit on Monday voiced concern after a June 13 meeting with management over "a few hot-button" merger issues." Mainly, pilots are not paid when they skip cockpit duty to help devise ways to integrate both airlines' pilot groups.
One of many challenges facing the proposed merger is how to unite US Airways' group of about 2,950 pilots with America West's roughly 1,900. Each group is represented by units of the same pilots union, but US Airways pilots tend to be more senior.
America West and US Airways, which is operating in bankruptcy, hope to close their merger at the end of October.
Nearly 20 America West pilots are serving on merger or negotiating committees, or in some other capacity, to help "put the pilot groups together," said J.R. Baker, chairman of the America West pilots union.
"We want to get the merger done just like management does," said Baker. "We just want to have the resources to do it."
Baker said America West pilots' contract does not provide for pay when performing merger-related work. Instead, the union compensates that pilot who is pulled from duty.
"We're looking for reasonable reimbursement in exchange for working to get this merger done," he said.
America West spokeswoman Elise Eberwein said the Phoenix-based carrier is "open to discussing a compromise." For example, America West pilots who stayed on the ground in 2004 were paid to assist in merger talks -- later abandoned -- with ATA, she said.
"We've been able to find reasonable solutions in the past, and we're prepared to again," she said.
No meetings between America West and pilots leaders were scheduled as of yesterday. But Eberwein said management and labor should settle on some level of pay "over the next week or two."
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