US Airways cutting 233 ramp and ticket workers

MINNEAPOLIS - US Airways Group Inc. told workers on Tuesday that it would cut 233 of its ramp workers and gate and ticket agents.

Like other airlines, US Airways is cutting capacity as the economy slows. Chairman and Chief Executive Doug Parker told workers that the job cuts are necessary because of reduced flying, the loss of contracts with other airlines, and slower attrition rates.

The company said the cuts would affect 10 cities, with the biggest reductions in Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Tucson, Ariz. The company said other affected cities would include Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland and San Jose, Calif., and Salt Lake City.

In Tucson, the company told workers that "another company can perform the work for less and as a result, they were selected as the new provider over US Airways." It said the Tucson work would be lost in March when its contract expires.

The workers' contracts allow them to bump a less-senior employee somewhere else.

US Airways had 33,731 total employees as of Feb. 1. A company spokesman was not able to provide a breakdown on job categories.

"These are uncertain times marked by less business flying, fewer family vacations and rising unemployment," Parker wrote in the note to workers. "Even though today's news is part of our previously announced capacity reductions, losing 233 airport positions is a step we had hoped to avoid, primarily through attrition."

Attrition — the normal departure of employees who quit, or retire, — has been running less than usual because of the slowing economy, said US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant.

He said US Airways' capacity guidance wasn't changing. The company has said it expects this year's mainline capacity will fall 4 percent to 6 percent.

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