15-day countdown to strike, night of Aug. 15

[justanadd]

Northwest Flight Attendants May Strike
(AP) MINNEAPOLIS Northwest Airlines flight attendants said on Tuesday that they've started a 15-day countdown toward a strike on the night of Aug. 15, putting the bankrupt carrier at risk for even worse financial problems.

The Association of Flight Attendants made the threat after Northwest imposed a new contract that 80 percent of flight attendants had rejected in June. Flight attendants rejected a second agreement on Monday.

The union has said its job actions could range from limited, brief work stoppages to a full-fledged strike. The airline doesn't believe that's legal.

"A strike or work action by AFA flight attendants would be illegal under the Railway Labor Act," which governs airline workers, Northwest spokesman Bill Mellon said. He said the airline would seek a court order to block a strike, but it had not done so as of Tuesday morning.

Eagan-based Northwest, the nation's fifth-largest airline, filed such a motion earlier this year when the flight attendants' previous union threatened a strike, but the judge never acted on it.

Union spokeswoman Corey Caldwell said job actions could begin at 10:01 p.m. EDT on Aug. 15, when a 15-day warning period promised by the AFA's predecessor union expires. The union started the clock ticking with a letter to the airline at 10 p.m. EDT Monday.

On Monday, Northwest's roughly 9,000 flight attendants rejected a tentative agreement negotiated by their union leaders — the second time in two months they had voted down such a deal. Northwest already had permission from its bankruptcy judge to impose the contract that flight attendants rejected in June, and on Monday it did so.

Northwest has sought $1.4 billion in annual labor savings as it reorganizes. Flight attendants were its last union without a wage-cutting contract. But deals with pilots and ground workers were on hold until the new flight attendant contract took effect on Monday.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

Why did the AFA give NWA a 15 day's "notice" that they might strike? Why give the company any warning at all? Unless the AFA is working for NWA management. The AFA needs to quit threatening and start acting NOW!

 

[767 mechanic]

Why did the AFA give NWA a 15 day's "notice" that they might strike? Why give the company any warning at all? Unless the AFA is working for NWA management. The AFA needs to quit threatening and start acting NOW!

I agree Princess they should stick it to nwa hard and fast. Afterall is'nt that what they would try and do to any union that would not roll over and stick their a$$ in the air. Similiar to what the iam alpa did.

 

[Spock]

Why did the AFA give NWA a 15 day's "notice" that they might strike? Why give the company any warning at all? Unless the AFA is working for NWA management. The AFA needs to quit threatening and start acting NOW!

I especially like the company by-line: "A strike or work action by AFA flight attendants would be illegal under the Railway Labor Act," which governs airline workers, Northwest spokesman Bill Mellon said. He said the airline would seek a court order to block a strike, but it had not done so as of Tuesday morning." By the RLA, in normal times, the old contract stays the course until a new one is agreed to. If both sides can't agree, then the NMB give a 30 days cooling off period and at the end, the company may IMPOSE a contract and the union can strike. Now Ch. 11 and the BK judge make the previous moot. They jumped ahead and imposed a contract, the RLA is out of the picture.

 

[FA Mikey]

Douglas Baird, a law professor and bankruptcy expert at the University of Chicago, said Northwest is trying to have the best of both the bankruptcy code and the Railway Labor Act. He said the airline is essentially arguing that bankruptcy law lets them impose a new contract, and airline labor law forces employees to accept it.

"It's silly. Basically, we live in a country where you can't be made to work for somebody under terms and conditions you didn't agree to," he said. "That's why it's a free country."

"When you hear Northwest tell you that flight attendants have no right to strike, be very skeptical."

 

[Nor'Easta]

I hope the NW Flight Attendants stick it to Stealand and his crooks!

You have my 100% supoort!

 

[a320av8r]

"It's silly. Basically, we live in a country where you can't be made to work for somebody under terms and conditions you didn't agree to"...

You can with W as prez.
I'll bet he orders you back to work and no CHAOS.

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!

 

[USFlyer]

"It's silly. Basically, we live in a country where you can't be made to work for somebody under terms and conditions you didn't agree to," he said. "That's why it's a free country."

Well, this swings both ways. NW could argue that if you don't like it, then quit. No one is forcing you to do anything. You're choosing to stay instead of finding another job.

 

[FA Mikey]

It will be argued as a point of law. NWA entered in to a binding agreement. The company and court fundamentally changed it. They cannot forced to work under it without the guaranteed option of self help.

 

[justanadd]

NWA Strike in the hands of a judge
Northwest filed a motion asking its bankruptcy judge to block a possible Strike by the airlines flight attendants.
Liz Fedor, Star Tribune
Last update: August 01, 2006 – 9:12 PM

Northwest Airlines asked a bankruptcy judge late Tuesday to prohibit its flight attendants from striking, but the union is expected to fight Northwest’s effort to win such an injunction. We've got a right to Strike, said David Borer, general counsel for the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). They can't take $200 million from us and our right to Strike.

Northwest filed its motion with Judge Allan Gropper late Tuesday, one day after flight attendants rejected an agreement featuring deep pay cuts and work rule changes.

Within hours of the rejection, Northwest imposed new pay rates and other work terms Monday that will allow the airline to save $195 million in annual costs. The flight attendants gave Northwest a 15-day Strike notice Monday evening.

Now the parties are set to wrangle in court over whether federal labor law permits an airline union to Strike during a bankruptcy.

“As a fundamental matter, employees aren’t required to work under terms they did not agree to,†Borer said. The Railway Labor Act [that governs such contracts] is explicit that management is not allowed to make unilateral changes to a contract.

But Borer noted that Northwest argues that it can impose work terms and block a Strike because the carrier is in bankruptcy.

Northwest spokesman Bill Mellon said that Northwest believes that Gropper will rule in the airline’s favor at the hearing next Wednesday.

George Singer, a bankruptcy attorney with Lindquist & Vennum in Minneapolis, predicted that the judge would side with Northwest and block a Strike. But Singer said that would be merely a temporary legal victory for Northwest.

While Northwest wants to keep the carrier in the air and its flight attendants at work, Singer said management must “mend fences and build bridges†with these workers who are the face of the airline with Northwest passengers.

Terry Trippler, a Minneapolis-based travel expert, said Gropper has been prodding Northwest and its unions to negotiate deals and he still has the opportunity to bring the attendants and management together.

The flight attendants have rejected two deals, but on Monday 45 percent of attendants voted in favor of the agreement negotiated by the AFA. Trippler said Gropper can call the parties in and ask AFA leaders what it will take to get a majority vote.

Mellon said no talks are scheduled. But he said, We have a continuing duty to bargain with the flight attendants and we remain available to do so.

I haven’t heard from them, Mollie Reiley, interim president of the Northwest AFA, said Tuesday evening.

We're busy preparing for a Strike, Borer said. Starting Aug. 15, these executives are going to find out that theres a price to pay for what they've done.


Liz Fedor

 

[USFlyer]

It will be argued as a point of law. NWA entered in to a binding agreement. The company and court fundamentally changed it. They cannot forced to work under it without the guaranteed option of self help.

This is an untested area of the law. Technically, you have a valid contract even if imposed by the court, so I'm inclined to think NW would win this in court. But, one never knows.

We're busy preparing for a Strike, Borer said. Starting Aug. 15, these executives are going to find out that theres a price to pay for what they've done.
Liz Fedor

Personally, I think the 55 percent of the FAs who voted no did this, not management. Everyone knew full well before voting what a "no" vote would mean, so to me the FAs chose this path, not management.

 

[N311AW]

From your friends at AFA America West/US Airways, you have our full support!

Bring on the CHAOS!

 

[JAFA]

Personally, I think the 55 percent of the FAs who voted no did this, not management. Everyone knew full well before voting what a "no" vote would mean, so to me the FAs chose this path, not management.

The counterpoint of course is that both the PFAA and the AFA have stated unequivocally that any imposition of terms outside of a negitated settlement would mean a strike, so to me Steeland et al chose this path, not the fa's. Remember the judge said NW could impose it's terms, Groper never said they had to do it. NW could've seen where this would lead and just nack off, but of course we all know there is an agenda here. Always remember whose playbook is being used. A good hint would be remembering who gave Steeland his first airline job. It would be the one and only Frank Lorenzo.

 

[USFlyer]

Problem I have with that argument is the FAs union leadership "ok'd" the offer. So, now the "no" vote rests with the membership. That 55 percent voted with the full understanding of what would happen. Not saying who is right or wrong in this ethically or morally, but I have a hard time believing the FAs would win this one in court.

 

[PRINCESS KIDAGAKASH]

It doesn't matter what a corrupt judge says. NWA has abbrogated it's contract with the NWA F/A's. They are now basically "at will" employees. The AFA needs to quit stalling and call a strike immediately. The AFA raided the PFAA on a campaign that they would bring leadership to the NWA F/A's. If the AFA doesn't shove the judge's ruling back in his/her face, it will be "PATCO" all over again and all unions will suffer. The time to act is now, not 15 days from now! The AFA needs to quit working for airline management(like at USAIR,UNITED) and start working for the people who pay the dues!