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NWA Maintenance

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heywatchthis

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Feb 28, 2005
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http://www.workers.org/2005/us/nwa-1020/

FAA report confirms concerns of striking airline mechanics

By Sue Davis

Published Oct 15, 2005 4:04 PM
It’s a miracle there hasn’t been an accident since the trained mechanics who service Northwest Airlines planes went on strike on Aug. 19 to defend their jobs.
The most recent batch of Federal Aviation Association reports confirm what the machinists, represented by AMFA Local 33, predicted. There are “training deficiencies among the replacement workers, thin staffing, maintenance blunders and mistakes in recording aircraft repairs.” All these things jeopardize passenger and crew safety.

Eleven FAA reports, filed from Aug. 20 to Sept. 12, detail various violations. For instance, a Sept. 3 report reads: “Aircraft in for an ‘A’ inspection. Stabilizer trim check failed. Stabilizer brake failed; no parts in stock; the mechanic working the stabilizer trim problem had only two weeks of 757 experience.”

Another Sept. 3 report reads: “Captain’s side windshield anti-ice system inoperable and maintenance had been deferred. Windshield was approximately 65-70 percent covered with fog, rendering it very difficult to see during taxi—clearly a safety hazard.”

According to AMFA Local 33 President Ted Ludwig, Northwest has not been filing required electronic maintenance reports “in order to hide its inability to perform aircraft maintenance in full compliance with regulations.”
“It’s time for NWA to stop cutting corners on maintenance and passenger safety,” reads a statement posted Oct. 9 on the union’s website. “They need to negotiate a fair contract to get our people back in there ASAP to fix these problems and restore the public’s faith in NWA safety.” AMFA’s motto is: “Safety in the air begins with quality maintenance on the ground.”

Broad solidarity grows
Unions and labor councils all over the country are lining up to show solidarity with the AMFA strikers. Besides passing resolutions supporting the strikers, some unions are contributing to the strike fund. For instance, the United Auto Workers recently donated $880,000. Individual checks were mailed to each of the 4,500 strikers on Oct. 4.

But it’s not just unions that are showing support. Students at the University of Michigan called a picket line on Oct. 5 outside Northwest executive and Michigan University Regent Andrea Fischer New man’s apartment in Ann Arbor. “These aircraft mechanics deserve fair treatment for the hard work that they do,” said Art Reyes, a member of Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality. (Oct. 5, The Michigan Daily)

Northwest flight attendants, cleaners and mechanics also joined the picket line. They accused Newman, an NWA senior vice president, of lying to employees about the airline’s financial health before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this summer. Also stressing safety issues, some protesters carried signs that read: “Don’t gamble with NWA.”
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
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Hey Heywatchthis,
As much as I want the best for the NWA mechanics, this article is not straight news. It is from a union publication that is like reading Pravda in the 60's. Again, I support the NWA mechanics, but I wish AMFA could have worked up a half way believable strategy. They really set back the efforts of the other unions at NWA.
Deli
 
Deli Guy said:
Hey Heywatchthis,
As much as I want the best for the NWA mechanics, this article is not straight news. It is from a union publication that is like reading Pravda in the 60's. Again, I support the NWA mechanics, but I wish AMFA could have worked up a half way believable strategy. They really set back the efforts of the other unions at NWA.
Deli

Yeah blame it on AMFA. This is the only industry that other labor groups cross picket lines at the same company, it's absolutely ridiculous. Other efforts at NWA? What efforts would that be? NWA has all the unions fighting with each other. The ship is sinking for all unions at NWA as well as all other airlines.
 

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