America West Airlines pilots, already worried about losing jobs to US Airways' more experienced pilots, are openly questioning their managers and citing a lack of support -- early signs of how delicate a merger between the two airlines will be.

America West pilots union chairman J.R. Baker said yesterday that he had "deep concern" about the company's willingness to protect America West's pilots from job losses or pay cuts in the event of a US Airways merger, which still faces a number of hurdles before it becomes final.

Along with clearing regulatory and bankruptcy-court approvals, the two airlines must be able to integrate their work forces smoothly while solving the thorny issue of seniority. A large gap in the respective ages of the two employee groups makes a problem-free transition less likely.

The process "will not be without bumps," said Elise Eberwein, a spokeswoman for America West, based in Tempe, Ariz.

Concern No. 1 for the America West pilots is the company's refusal, according to Baker, to compensate union leaders for any time lost in the cockpit during employee integration discussions, which could start next month if no new bidders emerge for US Airways and a bankruptcy judge approves the deal. Baker brought up the issue last week with America West executives, saying union leaders needed the company's support to ensure the greatest level of protection for pilots.

Baker claims the company was "not interested in helping us out."

"We just want a level playing field," he said.

But Eberwein disagreed with Baker's version of events, saying that America West encouraged the union leaders to put forward a proposal for lost flight pay and promised to work on a solution.

Nevertheless, "perception is reality," she said. "We'll do better."

Seniority, usually a benchmark for positions and pay when two union-represented groups merge, will be a big issue as the two airlines try to integrate operations over the next few years. In fact, America West Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker identified the integration as the biggest hurdle he has to overcome.

"We told Mr. Parker that we looked forward to forging a new relationship with management, and we made it clear that we understood this was an uphill climb to make this deal work," Baker said, in a release. "Despite his assurances, in less than one week, we were back to the same mentality that legitimate labor concerns come a distant second in the priorities of some senior [America West] managers."

"We do not want to see the failed policies of past airline labor-management relations brought to our table," Baker said.

Earlier this month, the leaders of the pilots at US Airways and America West met in the Phoenix area for the first time, face to face. Both sides said the get-together went well and that they expected to be able to resolve any differences going forward.

But the US Airways pilot leaders also have a few demands that must be met for the process to go smoothly. Like their counterparts at America West, they want to be compensated, as they have in the past, for any flight time lost to the negotiations.

"I am fairly confident US Airways will be resistant," said Bill Pollack, chairman of the US Airways pilots union.

US Airways union leaders want a signed commitment that the two airlines will be fully integrated, from top to bottom, and not exist as two separate organizations. They also want the companies to agree that a merger of two employee groups will be governed by policies of the national Air Line Pilots Association and for both airlines to preserve the respective level of flying at both operations while the merger is being approved.

Pollock said he wanted to avoid any "horseplay by the companies in playing one group off the other."

"We will need a commitment on the process to enjoy our support," Pollack said.