MIAMI – American Airlines' three unions said Friday they support a proposed merger between American and US Airways.
It's a preemptive strike by the unions against American, which comes three days before American is scheduled to ask a federal bankruptcy judge to allow the company to reject its union contracts.
American Airlines filed for bankruptcy in November and is in the process of trying to restructure and cut roughly $1.25 billion from its operation.
But, American's union leaders said the company is too focused on cutting labor costs and is not looking at more ways to generate revenue. The head of the airlines pilot's union told Local 10 that he thinks this proposed merger with US Airways could do just that.
"It would create a substantially larger airline, a stronger network domestically to feed further international growth and certainly last but not least it would save 6,000 jobs that would be cut under the restructuring plan that AA management has presented," said Greg Overman, spokesman for the American Pilots Association.
American is the fourth-largest employer in Miami-Dade County. The company employs about 9,000 people locally. It also has more than 600 flights a day out of Miami International Airport, which serves as the company's international hub to Latin America, one of the fastest-growing segments of its business.
The bankruptcy hearing is set to begin Monday. American's union leaders are hopeful their unanimous support of a merger with US Airways will convince company leaders to carefully consider the proposal.