Northwest Recalls Idle Flight Attendants
Thursday September 7, 10:15 am ET
By Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer Northwest Airlines Recalls All Furloughed Flight Attendants
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Northwest Airlines Corp. is recalling all 1,131 furloughed flight attendants, in a move that will boost the size of of its cabin staff as it awaits a judge's ruling on whether those workers can strike.
NWA, which is reorganizing under bankruptcy protection, said the recalled workers will fill permanent vacancies beginning Sept. 30. The recall applies to workers who had volunteered for furloughs as well as involuntary furloughs.
"The current vacancies are created by a number of factors, including some modest operational growth and flight attendant attrition," the airline said in a statement issued late Wednesday after the union announced the recalls in a hotline message.
On Thursday, spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch declined to comment on whether the recall was driven in part by a possible strike.
The Association of Flight Attendants said that workers who don't respond to recall letters within a week will be assumed to have resigned.
Flight attendants have been trying to win legal permission for random, unannounced walkouts aimed at pressuring Northwest to offer them a better contract.
Northwest has said a strike would be illegal, and that its solvency would be in danger if job actions drove customers away. A bankruptcy judge's ruling allowed a strike, but Northwest appealed to U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero in New York to block walkouts. Marrero could rule at any time
Northwest, which is trying to emerge from bankruptcy, imposed $195 million in cuts on flight attendants with a judge's permission on July 31 after union members twice voted down two negotiated settlements. Flight attendants have said the pay cuts amount to as much as 40 percent when health insurance increases are factored in, although Northwest has disputed that figure. Flight attendants have said the cuts have caused some lower-seniority employees to leave Northwest for other jobs.
Thursday September 7, 10:15 am ET
By Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer Northwest Airlines Recalls All Furloughed Flight Attendants
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Northwest Airlines Corp. is recalling all 1,131 furloughed flight attendants, in a move that will boost the size of of its cabin staff as it awaits a judge's ruling on whether those workers can strike.
NWA, which is reorganizing under bankruptcy protection, said the recalled workers will fill permanent vacancies beginning Sept. 30. The recall applies to workers who had volunteered for furloughs as well as involuntary furloughs.
"The current vacancies are created by a number of factors, including some modest operational growth and flight attendant attrition," the airline said in a statement issued late Wednesday after the union announced the recalls in a hotline message.
On Thursday, spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch declined to comment on whether the recall was driven in part by a possible strike.
The Association of Flight Attendants said that workers who don't respond to recall letters within a week will be assumed to have resigned.
Flight attendants have been trying to win legal permission for random, unannounced walkouts aimed at pressuring Northwest to offer them a better contract.
Northwest has said a strike would be illegal, and that its solvency would be in danger if job actions drove customers away. A bankruptcy judge's ruling allowed a strike, but Northwest appealed to U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero in New York to block walkouts. Marrero could rule at any time
Northwest, which is trying to emerge from bankruptcy, imposed $195 million in cuts on flight attendants with a judge's permission on July 31 after union members twice voted down two negotiated settlements. Flight attendants have said the pay cuts amount to as much as 40 percent when health insurance increases are factored in, although Northwest has disputed that figure. Flight attendants have said the cuts have caused some lower-seniority employees to leave Northwest for other jobs.
