P.M. BRIEFING : USAir, Attendants Reach Accord

USAir flight attendants have agreed to a tentative 18-month contract with the airline, the Assn. of Flight Attendants said today.

The union, representing 30,000 flight attendants at 18 airlines, said the accord was reached after more than a year of negotiations. A federal mediator entered the talks in July.

Details of the tentative pact were not disclosed pending a ratification vote by union members “sometime in late November,” the association said.

“The agreement represents a significant victory for USAir flight attendants in maintaining their industry-leading contract in the face of tough economic times,” union leader Dee Maki said.

The airline, headquartered in Arlington, Va., recently dropped expansion plans and laid off hundreds of employees.