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Northwest, mechanics resume talks

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Below Mins

Nothing can go wrong now!
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Posts
42
Reuters
Northwest, union resume labor talks
Thursday September 8, 1:45 pm ET
By Kyle Peterson CHICAGO (Reuters) - Labor negotiations resumed on Thursday between Northwest Airlines (NasdaqNM:NWAC - News) and the union representing 4,400 striking mechanics and maintenance workers. The talks could bring an end to the strike that began August 20. But the airline has made clear that it may soon hire its temporary workers permanently and that it may offer terms even worse to the striking workers than those in its last proposal.

The workers represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association walked off the job, saying the No. 4 U.S. carrier was asking the mechanics for unreasonable concessions.

The airline has continued flying using temporary workers and outside vendors. AMFA says Northwest is suffering from the strike and that the workload will overwhelm the replacement mechanics who are less familiar with Northwest's fleet.

Northwest insists its operations are smooth and that it is prepared to operate with its replacement workers indefinitely. Experts tend to agree with the airline.

"Now it's a matter of damage control for the union. They may be looking for a face-saving maneuver to rejuvenate the membership, while avoiding the permanent loss of jobs," said Joe Schwieterman, transportation expert at DePaul University.

"I suspect that debate will be more around job rules and job security, rather than hourly pay," he said.

FUEL COSTS, KATRINA PRESSURE AIRLINE

Northwest says industry conditions have worsened since the strike started because of a fuel spike resulting from Hurricane Katrina. The carrier said it may have to ask the union employees for even greater concessions.

Northwest Vice President of Labor Relations Julie Hagen Showers said in a letter on Tuesday to AMFA that the company needs to adopt a long-term solution.

"The airline must be in a position to start filling permanent vacancies by September 13," Showers said in the letter.

A Northwest representative declined on Thursday to explain the significance of that date.

AMFA said Northwest's best offer before the strike was to terminate about half of its AMFA-represented jobs and impose hefty pay cuts on the remaining workers.

Northwest has said it needs $1.1 billion in annual labor cost savings to restructure and avert bankruptcy. The carrier was seeking $176 million of that amount from mechanics.

Eagan, Minnesota-based Northwest said it may need to raise its labor cost savings target to offset fuel prices and that any agreement must accommodate the increasingly dire circumstances in the airline industry.

U.S. crude oil futures were trading at $63.65 a barrel on Thursday, down from record highs above $70.

AMFA spokesman Steve Conway said it was not clear that Northwest intended to ask for more concessions.

"It's really impossible to tell at this point," he said, adding that the two parties "are going to both go to the table to see what's what."

The striking workers are under strain and that some are seeking other jobs, he said. But in general, they are devoted to the strike.

"They're holding up really well," Conway said. "The best measure of how they're holding up is that not more than a handful have crossed the line."
 
Another article said NW is now THREATENING the union. Nice. I see them hiring the scabs unfortunately.


Bye Bye--General Lee
 
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It looks like NW is going thru the motions required by the RLA to keep the scabs permanently. The RLA says NWA has to give AMFA one more offer - it doesn't say it has to be a good one.
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...even more concessions from the employees.

For the fvcking love of man, will SOMEONE raise the price of a ticket to offset fuel costs instead of taking it out on the employees. A$$holes...
 
bizjournals.com
NWA seeking layoffs, bigger savings
Friday September 9, 12:06 pm ET

Northwest Airlines Corp. met with officials from its striking mechanics union Thursday, reportedly seeking wider concessions than when the two sides last met.

The Eagan-based airline wants to lay off approximately two-thirds of its mechanics and is seeking $302 million in concessions in its latest proposal, according to media reports.

Under the plan, Northwest would keep 1,020 mechanics nationwide -- 820 in Minneapolis and Detroit combined, and 200 more in Duluth. Additional maintenance work would be outsourced.

Neither Northwest or the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) would confirm the details of the airline's latest proposal.

The two sides are scheduled to meet again Friday.

AMFA workers walked off the job Aug. 19 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Northwest (Nasdaq:NWAC - News), which is seeking a total of $1.1 billion in annual labor savings, has asked the union to take job and pay cuts. Published September 9, 2005 by The Business Journal</I>
 
The Employee Jihad continues.............................(where is Edi Amin ?)

---AMFA.......fuct again

---they want UAL PLUS from ALPA

---they want a 40% paycut.....PLUS 50% layoffs from PFAA

Ah yes......livin' the dream. Too bad it turned out to be a f*&% nightmare !!!!

320AV8R
 
320AV8R said:
The Employee Jihad continues.............................(where is Edi Amin ?)

---AMFA.......fuct again

---they want UAL PLUS from ALPA

---they want a 40% paycut.....PLUS 50% layoffs from PFAA

Ah yes......livin' the dream. Too bad it turned out to be a f*&% nightmare !!!!

320AV8R

320,

long time no post, we missed ya. where ya been lately?

Yeah all these guys are screwed, this situation is unreal. Is a group with some power going to try and put a stop to the management madness? I mean enough is enough right?!
 
WillowRunVortex said:
320,

long time no post, we missed ya. where ya been lately?

Yeah all these guys are screwed, this situation is unreal. Is a group with some power going to try and put a stop to the management madness? I mean enough is enough right?!

Willow-

Just did a "dreamy" 4-day..........

If yer an employee............yer not wanted.

Just got a new t-shirt.

It says FUCTBYDOUG.

Pretty catchy,

320AV8R
 
Heck, those mechanics have been REPLACED...why even bother to talk with them. Ramp up and hire off the street.

Ahh, UNION....you can, will and have been REPLACED!
 

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