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America West on labor alert
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March 19, 1999: 12:36 p.m. ET
Flight attendants may begin job action if contract talks don't yield agreement
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Representatives of more than 2,000 America West flight attendants say they're prepared to begin a job action early Saturday if no progress is made in contract negotiations with the airline.
The Association of Flight Attendants says a job action could start at 12:01 p.m. ET if talks with management break down.
"If it's around 10:01 (p.m. MT Friday), and there's no progress, we're prepared to walk off the job," said Jeff Zack, spokesman for the association.
A job action could particularly affect flights to and from cities in the Southwest such as Phoenix and Las Vegas, where Tempe, Ariz.-based America West (AWA) has a big presence. The deadline comes during the heavily traveled spring break period.
The union and the nation's ninth-largest airline have been at odds over pay and other money-related issues, including travel expenses and bonuses, since 1994. The two sides also disagree on how flight attendants' pay should be determined.
In a statement, the airline said it remains "hopeful that an agreement will be reached." If flights are disrupted, America West said it will try to put displaced passengers on other airlines. If unable to do so, passengers will get a refund.
Friday's talks in Washington D.C. were ordered by the National Mediation Board as a last-ditch effort to prevent a job action. The panel's mandated "cooling off" period ends Friday.
If a job action occurs, the union says it will implement a tactic called "CHAOS," or "creating havoc around our system." Under the plan, flight attendants might selectively not work certain flights, or stop work entirely but for indefinite periods.
America West shares were down 3/4 to 17-1/2 in Friday afternoon trading. 
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