Union members who work for American Airlines and US Airways Group rallied on Capitol Hill yesterday, urging the U.S. Justice Department to drop its opposition to a planned merger between the two airlines, Reuters reported yesterday. The rally by pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers and others also attracted a handful of the 300 lawmakers that the union representatives are meeting this week in hopes of building support for the deal. Representatives of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the Allied Pilots Association and US Airline Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union also met yesterday with William Baer, the head of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, to express displeasure over the lawsuit. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Aug. 13 to stop the planned merger between US Airways and American's parent, AMR Corp. The government argues that it would violate antitrust laws because it would lead to higher airfares and other fees. A judge will hear the case without a jury in November and decide whether the deal can go forward.
