America West Attendants Reject Arbitration

The flight attendants union for America West Airlines rejected binding arbitration, bringing their labor dispute one step closer to a strike. The National Mediation Board will now set the date to begin a 30-day “cooling off” period. Work stoppages can begin at any time after those 30 days. The union said the two sides remain $16.5 million apart on salary and per-diem issues. “We’re on the eve now of a major dispute. America West has put us here,” said Bill McGlashen of the America West Assn. of Flight Attendants. Phoenix-based America West criticized the flight attendants’ decision, saying it “reflects an attitude among its leadership that favors confrontation versus negotiation and responsibility.”