The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which has 14,500 members, acknowledged the move could hasten any attempt by the Bush administration to force a settlement through Congress.
"We clearly recognize the danger," John Carr, the union's president, said in an interview.
The FAA has not ruled out trying to impose its terms on the union.
Since talks began last summer relations between controllers and the FAA have sunk to their worst level since 1981, when then-President Ronald Reagan fired 13,000 striking controllers who refused his back-to-work order.
Carr said in recent weeks the union has been "reduced to negotiating with ourselves" and mediation appears to be the only way to facilitate a deal.
Unresolved issues include pay, work hours and a disagreement over staffing. The FAA wants lower wages for new hires, a key issue for the controllers union since many are now or soon will be eligible to retire.
The FAA sought mediation in November but the union resisted, hoping the two would bridge differences. But recently, the pace of talks has slowed.
According to federal law, both sides have to agree for officials from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to intervene.
"Mediation can really help get the sides to a voluntary agreement," said FAA spokesman Greg MartinMediation can also hasten an impasse, which is required under the law for the agency to submit its contract proposal for congressional review. No action by the Republican-controlled Congress within 60 days would clear the way for the FAA to impose its terms.
"We don't want it to go to Congress," Carr said.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has said her agency is facing budget pressures and must cut costs. She has said the next controller contract will not be as generous as the last one, negotiated in 1998.
Blakey said in January that she wanted an agreement in place early this year.
The FAA says average compensation -- including overtime and benefits - tops $165,000 for unionized controllers.Yahoo! News
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If you think $165,000 is a lot of money, you are correct it is. But just think about this little piece of information. A controller working at a center, a tower, or an enroute center will hold more lives in their hand in one single 8 hour shift than any sergeon will in an entire career. This contract the FAA is offering the controller that keeps your Boeing 767 away from that Airbus A320, that Boeing 757, that Boeing 737, that Airbus A319, is crazy. Increasing hours and reducing the number of controllers is not a way to keep safety your number one priority.
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