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COPYRIGHT 2001 The Dallas Morning News
Byline: Terry Maxon
May 31--The union for American Airlines' flight attendants decided Wednesday against submitting its contract dispute to outside arbiters, setting the scene for a possible strike in a month.
The rejection triggers a 30-day countdown that could end in a strike unless the two sides reach an agreement or President Bush intervenes to head off a walkout by American's 23,000 flight attendants.
The next step will be for the National Mediation Board to begin the cooling-off period, an action that probably will take place Thursday or Friday. That would allow the Association of Professional Flight Attendants to walk off their jobs June 30 or July 1.
"Whether we strike or not depends on the company," union president John Ward said in a prepared statement. "If they finally step up to the plate and treat the American flight attendants fairly and with dignity, we can avoid a strike; if they fail to make the necessary moves, a strike is unfortunately a distinct possibility."
In a statement, American said it was "disappointed" that the union's leaders did not accept the offer of arbitration. It reiterated that it had offered the union an "industry-leading contract package."
The Fort Worth-based airline also sought to head off any concerns from customers that their flights may be grounded by...
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