Missouri Senators Probe TWA Deal

Missouri’s two U.S. Senators have held a hearing in the nation’s capital to try to figure out what happened to former TWA employees who were laid off after they joined American Airlines. Senator Christopher Bond contends those employees were promised they would retain seniority. But American’s Vice President for Labor Relations Jeff Brundage says that was never agreed to and the former TWA employees knew that and agreed to that. Bond tells Brundage there was only an offer and counter-offer between the two sides on the seniority issue. Brundage says competing union interests and a sour economy are the reasons for the former TWA employees layoffs. But Bond points out American officials made a promise to Congress as well those employees would be protected if Congress allowed the acquisition to go through.