NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bankrupt airline US Airways will ask a bankruptcy court judge to impose emergency pay cuts of 23 percent on its major unions, the New York Times reported late on Thursday.þþThe newspaper reported on its Web site that the country's seventh-largest carrier had written to its unions detailing the plans, which also stated US Airways plans to cut or stop contributions altogether to some employee retirement plans.þþUS Airways also plans to end its commitment to keep 279 aircraft in its fleet, the Times said, citing the carrier's letter -- a pledge the company made last year when it emerged from its first bankruptcy.þþThe company last week filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors for the second time in as many years.þþThe Times, quoting a letter to the unions by Jerrold A. Glass, senior vice president of employee relations, said the airline had to seek the pay cuts ``in order to stabilize our cash flow during this traditionally slow fall and winter period, in which we are also experiencing high fuel prices and a revenue environment'' driven by low-fare carriers.þþUS Airways is currently embroiled in increasingly fractious negotiations with its employee unions, which have balked at the carrier's demands for deep pay cuts as it tries to restructure its operations. The company has demanded $800 million in contract concessions, the newspaper said.þþEarlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported US Airways had asked its pilots union for a 19.5 percent pay cut.þþOn Wednesday, executives of the pilots union ordered their negotiating team to resume talks with the company, aimed at reaching an agreement on concessions.þþCalls seeking comment from the company and the Air Line Pilots Association at US Airways were not immediately returned late on Thursday. þþ
Source: NY Times
