- Nov 4, 2003
- 7,550
- 3,767
AMFA wins appeals court ruling for Minnesota member’s unemployment benefits
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled on the unemployment case concerning our claim at the beginning of the strike. AMFA appealed the denial of benefits for Technicians and NWA appealed the granting of benefits for the Cleaners and Custodians. The court combined the two cases. The appeals court said an unemployment law judge erred in ruling that the mechanics were ineligible for unemployment payments. The appeals court said the 25-percent pay cuts that Northwest imposed on mechanics constituted a lockout. They also ruled to affirm that the custodians and cleaners are eligible for unemployment benefits.
The decision means that our members in Minnesota may start receiving their unemployment benefits. Some mechanics will receive up to $13,390 in benefits, said Lee Nelson, an attorney with the Minnesota unemployment insurance program. About 1,600 mechanics are affected by this ruling, but many mechanics won't receive the maximum benefit because they got full-time or part-time jobs during the eligibility period.
AMFA National Director, O. V. Delle-Femine said “The winning of the unemployment benefits in the Court Of Appeals is a victory for our members on NWA and a victory for justice. The Court ruled that NWA was wrong and the unemployment law judge was wrong. AMFA's legal counsel has to be commended for a terrific job they did to win the case for our NWA striking members.â€
Nick Granath, an AMFA attorney, characterized the decision as a major victory for the union. "We are vindicated," Granath said, noting that many other states in the United States have paid unemployment benefits to striking AMFA members. Since the strike began, "people have lost their houses, people have gotten divorced." In 2005, Northwest eliminated the AMFA cleaner and custodian jobs on its payroll and outsourced most of the mechanics' jobs to slash labor costs. "Unemployment [benefits] should have been there to ease the pain and move the transition along," Granath said.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled on the unemployment case concerning our claim at the beginning of the strike. AMFA appealed the denial of benefits for Technicians and NWA appealed the granting of benefits for the Cleaners and Custodians. The court combined the two cases. The appeals court said an unemployment law judge erred in ruling that the mechanics were ineligible for unemployment payments. The appeals court said the 25-percent pay cuts that Northwest imposed on mechanics constituted a lockout. They also ruled to affirm that the custodians and cleaners are eligible for unemployment benefits.
The decision means that our members in Minnesota may start receiving their unemployment benefits. Some mechanics will receive up to $13,390 in benefits, said Lee Nelson, an attorney with the Minnesota unemployment insurance program. About 1,600 mechanics are affected by this ruling, but many mechanics won't receive the maximum benefit because they got full-time or part-time jobs during the eligibility period.
AMFA National Director, O. V. Delle-Femine said “The winning of the unemployment benefits in the Court Of Appeals is a victory for our members on NWA and a victory for justice. The Court ruled that NWA was wrong and the unemployment law judge was wrong. AMFA's legal counsel has to be commended for a terrific job they did to win the case for our NWA striking members.â€
Nick Granath, an AMFA attorney, characterized the decision as a major victory for the union. "We are vindicated," Granath said, noting that many other states in the United States have paid unemployment benefits to striking AMFA members. Since the strike began, "people have lost their houses, people have gotten divorced." In 2005, Northwest eliminated the AMFA cleaner and custodian jobs on its payroll and outsourced most of the mechanics' jobs to slash labor costs. "Unemployment [benefits] should have been there to ease the pain and move the transition along," Granath said.
