July, 9 2001
Contact: Dawn Deeks, 202-712-9799 ext. 804

US Airways Express Flight Attendants Picket US Airways Headquarters

Tuesday, July 10, 2345 Crystal Drive,
Crystal Park Building 4, from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

US Airways Express flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO, will be picketing outside US Airways headquarters on Tuesday from 12:30 until 1:30 p.m. to warn of potential CHAOS(TM) strikes should the company not reach a contract agreement with the flight attendants. US Airways headquarters is located at 2345 Crystal Drive (Crystal Park, building 4) in Arlington, Va.

US Airways Express carrier Piedmont Airlines is wholly-owned and operated by US Airways. Negotiations over a new Piedmont Airlines flight attendant contract have continued for more than 2 years without an agreement. The flight attendants do the same work, many times have more duties, wear the same uniform and are employed by the same company as their counterparts at US Airways, yet their pay is drastically lower. The Piedmont flight attendants are trying to bridge the wage gap-up to a 40 percent difference in pay-between flight attendants at the major airlines and those at the express carrier.

"Piedmont has tried every trick to extend negotiations, without any intent to reach an agreement," said Piedmont AFA Master Executive Council President Betsy Tettelbach. "The flight attendants deserve pay that is comparable to other flight attendants in the industry, and we're willing to do whatever is necessary to get it."

The National Mediation Board began mediating the Piedmont flight attendants negotiations about 15 months ago. In December, the flight attendants asked the NMB to release the parties into a 30-day "cooling-off" period. The release could come at any time.

After the "cooling-off" period has expired, the flight attendants can begin CHAOS strike actions. CHAOS stands for Create Havoc Around Our System(TM), and includes a series of random, unannounced strikes. In December, 99 percent of Piedmont flight attendants voted "FOR" a strike if no agreement is reached.

The next round of mediated negotiations is scheduled to begin on July 16.

More than 50,000 flight attendants at 28 airlines join together to form AFA, the world's largest flight attendant union. For more information, visit AFA's website at http://www.afanet.org .

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