Arlen Specter: Specter Meets Face-to-Face with US Airways

Specter and the PA Delegation Express Frustration with Company

November 7, 2007 - TODAY, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, the longest-serving Senator from Pennsylvania, convened a meeting with the Pennsylvania delegation and US Airways CEO Doug Parker to discuss the future of US Airways in Pennsylvania.

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Following the hour-long meeting, Senator Specter and Doug Parker held a joint press conference. Watch a clip of the press conference here.

“Ten members of the House of Representatives, Senator Casey and I have just met with officials from US Airways, including Chief Executive Officer Douglas Parker, who’s here with me,” Specter said, following the meeting. “It was not a satisfactory meeting, and there are grave concerns by the Pennsylvania Delegation about what US Airways has done in Pittsburgh.”

Specter also discussed US Airways’ threat to halt expanded service in Philadelphia by withdrawing their application for nonstop flights between Philadelphia and Beijing. “In talking to Mr. Parker, I said to him, and I don’t use this word lightly, it sounds like extortion,” Specter said.

Today’s meeting was called in response to US Airways announced a plan to reduce the company’s presence in Pittsburgh, retrenching from 542 daily flights and 12,000 employees in 2001 to 68 flights and 1800 employees after the scheduled cuts go into effect in January 2008.

Senators Specter and Casey have sent several letters to Doug Parker since the announcement, including a joint letter urging Parker to extend fair and equitable severance packages to all displaced workers. In addition, Senator Specter sent a letter detailing “unfulfilled commitments and false expectations” created by US Airways regarding their presence in the region.

Source: Senator Arlen Specter