US Airways asks mechanics for 7 pct wage cut-union = = Thursday August 15, 3:43 PM EDT = ARLINGTON, Va., Aug 15 (Reuters) - Bankrupt air carrier US Airways Group = Inc. (UAWGQ) has asked its mechanics to absorb an initial wage cut of nea= rly 7 percent to help lighten costs and boost its chances of getting gove= rnment-backed loans, the mechanics' union said on Thursday. Mechanics and similar workers who earn more than $14.42 an hour at Arling= ton, Virginia-based US Airways would take a 6.8 percent wage cut up front= , according to a US Airways proposal revealed by the International Associ= ation of Machinists on Thursday. Workers who are paid less, mostly the airline's newer utility staffers an= d stock clerks, would have their wages temporarily frozen. US Airways is seeking hefty wage cuts and other concessions from its empl= oyees in order to speed its restructuring under bankruptcy and gain full = approval for $900 million in federal backing on a $1 billion loan. = The government's Air Transportation Stabilization Board, which was set af= ter Sept. 11 up to assist faltering airlines, granted US Airways conditio= nal approval for the loan guarantee last month, but said more sacrifices = from its workers were necessary. US Airways spokesman David Castelveter stressed the need to seal deals wi= th labor unions quickly, and said that the airline would ask a bankruptcy= court judge tomorrow to set August 30 as the date by which contracts mus= t be ratified if they're going to be granted protection during bankruptcy= =2E "We need to have this done as soon as possible," Castelveter said. US Airways, the sixth-largest U.S. airline, has already sealed about $550= million in annual cost reductions through deals with its pilots and flig= ht attendants. According to the six and a half-year plan that representatives for 6,800 = mechanics received on Sunday, US Airways proposed eliminating the furloug= h protections currently in place for the workers, but said it would commi= t to keeping at least 245 planes in its mainline fleet. It also would trim a week of vacation and cut some holidays and sick days= =2E But the proposal would grant the IAM one seat on US Airways' board, and w= ould let it participate on the airline's advisory board. = =A92002 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS