USAir Hits Impasse in Talks With PSA Flight Attendants

USAir Group on Friday began to merge Pacific Southwest Airlines into its Washington-based air fleet, but the company reached an impasse in labor contract negotiations with PSA’s union-represented flight attendants.

PSA was expected to disappear from the skies shortly after midnight Friday but because of the breakdown in negotiations, PSA’s nearly 1,000 flight attendants will continue to work under their old PSA contract.

The impasse “will not have an impact on service because we have no plans at this time to integrate (USAir and PSA) crews,” according to USAir spokeswoman Patricia A. Goldman. “The Assn. of Flight Attendants has informed us that they will continue to fly.”

“Mediation will be the next step,” according to AFA spokesman David Alexander. “What this means is that we’ll be USAir employees but we’ll be working under the old PSA contract.”

At issue is an approximate 10% wage disparity between what flight attendants earn at USAir and PSA, Alexander said. The AFA wants USAir to immediately eliminate that difference, but USAir hopes to phase in the higher pay over a three-year period.

Either side could submit the issue to the National Mediation Board early next week, according to Goldman.

USAir will be “reconsidering our position early next week,” Goldman said.

PSA and USAir earlier reached contract agreements with PSA’s other unionized employees. PSA’s pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., and its Teamsters-represented machinists, earlier reached separate agreements.

“USAir has not been consistent,” Alexander said. “On March 31, they signed an agreement with the IAM to grant that group full and instant parity . . . while (flight attendants and pilots) are being force-fed this three-year phase-in.”

USAir plans to integrate USAir and PSA crews in early May, Goldman said. Until that time, the lack of a contract will not hinder operations of the merged airlines, Goldman said.