No Endorsement of TA from NWA MEC

[FDJ2]

AP
Northwest Union Takes Neutral Stance
Friday March 17, 9:11 pm ET Northwest Pilot Union Takes Neutral Stance on Tentative Agreement
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Leaders of the pilot union voted Friday to take a neutral stance on the tentative agreement reached with Northwest Airlines Corp., throwing doubt on the chances that the union's showdown with the airline will end soon.


A resolution passed by the NWA Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association said pilots will have to weigh the potential risks and benefits of accepting the cutbacks, but the council's officers can voice their own opinions while presenting the proposal to pilots.

Balloting on the tentative agreement will run from April 6 to April 30.
Leaders of the pilot union have been divided over whether to endorse the pact, although Mark McClain, chairman of the union's leadership council, has told pilots he thinks they should vote in favor of it.

"While this tentative agreement will bring hardship to pilots and their families, there are no reasonable alternatives," he wrote in a message to members earlier this month.

Negotiators for Northwest and the pilot union reached the tentative agreement on March 3, ending a showdown that had threatened to turn into a strike.

Northwest has also reached tentative agreements with flight attendants and ground workers. But getting the deals approved by the rank-and-file has been tough. Northwest's ticket and reservations agents ratified their contract, but baggage handlers and ramp workers rejected theirs, prompting Northwest to say it will restart the process to have that contract thrown out.

Leaders of the flight attendants union are making no recommendation to members, who are expected to begin voting on their agreement later this month, spokeswoman Karen Schultz said on Friday.

All of the contracts include pay cuts ranging from 11.5 percent for ground workers to 24 percent for pilots. Pilots also took a 15 percent pay cut in late 2004.

Just as importantly, they include major work rule changes. For pilots, that includes allowing Northwest to open a subsidiary to fly jets with up to 76 seats.

 

[81Horse]

... throwing doubt on the chances that the union's showdown with the airline will end soon.

No sh!t.

 

[michael707767]

what a bunch of pussies. Take a stance. I would have more respect for them if they voted to recommend it. Basically they were afraid to do anything but pass the buck to the members.

 

[saabservant]

Sjet whipsaw

AP
Northwest Union Takes Neutral Stance

Just as importantly, they include major work rule changes. For pilots, that includes allowing Northwest to open a subsidiary to fly jets with up to 76 seats.

Mclain likes to say they saved 36 rj for us, to replace the arj, but this sjet will be used as a whipsaw against mesaba and pinnacle, and as a dumping ground for furloughed nwa pilots, to be sold a few years later. Typical spineless mainline. Throw the junior guys overboard.
Brand Scope, Pay to Play, what good is recognizing the problem, if Mclain and Woerth won't draw a line?

 

[accinelli]

Northwest Pilot Union Takes Neutral Stance on Tentative Agreement
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Leaders of the pilot union voted Friday to take a neutral stance on the tentative agreement reached with Northwest Airlines Corp., throwing doubt on the chances that the union's showdown with the airline will end soon.

Says it all. For those who can't figure it out -- just wait.

 

[81Horse]

Basically they were afraid to do anything but pass the buck to the members.

Basically, they couldn't agree among themselves; and they're already obligated to a MEMRAT vote.

The company must be loving it. They'll get their TA by a very, very small margin -- and they can chortle and smirk while the MEC implodes. Another trophy for the Union Busting shelf.

 

[FDJ2]

Basically, they couldn't agree among themselves; and they're already obligated to a MEMRAT vote.

The company must be loving it. They'll get their TA by a very, very small margin -- and they can chortle and smirk while the MEC implodes. Another trophy for the Union Busting shelf.

Just a thought, but perhaps the LEC representatives have heard from the rank and file and determined that this TA is DIW and having heard from the rank and file, the elected representatives did not want to endorse a TA that they know their constituents won't ratify. Again, just a thought

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

Truth is, the nay sayers had the votes to tag a "no" recommendation on this sh!tty TA. By a senatorial vote (1 vote per rep), it was 6-6 or 7-5 or there abouts in favor of a negative recommendation. The Nays had more than enough roll call votes, even with a 5-7 to tag a negative recommendation. But I think they were trying to avoid the chaos that ensued from the MEC fiasco at USAir.

They also censured the MEC Chairman, and came very, very close to recalling him. I wouldn't expect to hear much more from him on this topic.

But the tide has swung towards voting NO, and the yes men are definitely more panicky. There is a great deal of back pedaling going on, and there is some soliciting of opinion on what kinds of changes it would take to pass this TA in modified form.

It also came out that there are no written details, only agreed topics... That's made everyone mad as hell because the yes men have been pushing this thing with essentially nothing in writing...and with this management, that's pretty stupid.

So, pop some popcorn, pop open a beer and watch the show!

Nu

 

[81Horse]

...It also came out that there are no written details, only agreed topics...

Are you saying there is no actual written TA?

 

[Quack]

You guys have to remember the CFO who is at NWA is the same guy that ran USAIR into two bankruptcy filings and is the same guy who started MidAtlantic. It seems to me that by purchasing this operating certificate from AirIndy and scoping out the 76 seat flying, they might be planning an attack to develop one of these alterego type things just to sell it off to someone else in a couple years.