http://www.startribune.com/1778/story/631978.html
Airlines, U.S. ask court to bar NWA strike
Tom Becker, Bloomberg News
The U.S. Justice Department and more than 20 airlines asked a judge to block a flight attendants strike at Northwest Airlines, saying a work stoppage would disrupt transportation and hurt the economy.
The companies and the government filed friend-of-the-court papers Wednesday backing Northwest's appeal of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper's refusal to stop a strike. A walkout could cause the company's liquidation and the loss of 34,000 jobs, the airline has said.
"It is beyond doubt that a labor strike by the flight attendants of Northwest Airlines would cause serious disruptions not only to Northwest's operations, but to the air transportation system generally," the government said in a filing in U.S. District Court in New York. "The United States has a vital interest in this matter."
U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero is to consider the appeal Friday at a hearing, just hours before the flight attendants union at Northwest says it will begin scattered work stoppages.
While the two sides await that hearing, chances for new talks appeared to dwindle Wednesday, as the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) sent home its negotiators.
"We are ready to go into bargaining sessions with the airline, but right now they are not seemingly interested in talking," said Ricky Thornton, an AFA spokesman.
But Northwest is available to resume negotiations, spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said of the Eagan-based company.
"The lines of communication between the AFA and Northwest are open," he said.
In their court filing, the airlines said Gropper should have blocked the strike because Northwest and the union, which represents the airline's 9,300 flight attendants, are in mediation sessions with the National Mediation Board (NMB).
Gropper's "decision is grievously mistaken, and its reach will have unprecedented and potentially disastrous consequences" for all airlines and the economy, the Air Transport Association of America and the Airline Industrial Relations Conference said in a filing. The organizations represent more than 20 U.S. airlines, including bankrupt Delta Air Lines and other Northwest competitors.
The government and the airlines said the Railway Labor Act, a federal law governing labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, requires a release from the mediation process before a strike.
"The NMB has not released them from mediation, and therefore had not permitted them to engage in self-help," the airlines said. The Justice Department echoed that statement, saying, "Neither party has been released from mediation."
Besides Atlanta-based Delta, airlines supporting Northwest include Continental, JetBlue, United and Southwest.
"Of course we disagree, and so far the courts have disagreed," David Borer, a lawyer representing the union, said in an interview. "Judge Gropper ruled very clearly that we have the right to strike and that the court does not have the authority to issue an injunction. We expect the same result Friday."
The union has said it will strike because Gropper in July authorized Northwest to impose $195 million in annual pay and benefit cuts as part of a plan to shave $1.4 billion in labor expenses. Northwest has said a strike would violate the Railway Labor Act.
Northwest asked Gropper to block a strike. He denied that request Thursday, and Northwest appealed the next day.
I don't get it...these airlines are passing up on a chance to increase their revenue by adding passengers who would book away from NW because of CHAOS. :blink:
It is apparent that the ATA is trying to wield their influence in contract negotiations between the AFA and NW.
Collusion sucks! :down: :down: :down:
I have a very bad feeling that Dubya is going to come up with another one of his Presidential Emergency Board decrees...maybe that's one of the contingency plans that NW keeps referring to... :unsure:
Airlines, U.S. ask court to bar NWA strike
Tom Becker, Bloomberg News
The U.S. Justice Department and more than 20 airlines asked a judge to block a flight attendants strike at Northwest Airlines, saying a work stoppage would disrupt transportation and hurt the economy.
The companies and the government filed friend-of-the-court papers Wednesday backing Northwest's appeal of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper's refusal to stop a strike. A walkout could cause the company's liquidation and the loss of 34,000 jobs, the airline has said.
"It is beyond doubt that a labor strike by the flight attendants of Northwest Airlines would cause serious disruptions not only to Northwest's operations, but to the air transportation system generally," the government said in a filing in U.S. District Court in New York. "The United States has a vital interest in this matter."
U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero is to consider the appeal Friday at a hearing, just hours before the flight attendants union at Northwest says it will begin scattered work stoppages.
While the two sides await that hearing, chances for new talks appeared to dwindle Wednesday, as the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) sent home its negotiators.
"We are ready to go into bargaining sessions with the airline, but right now they are not seemingly interested in talking," said Ricky Thornton, an AFA spokesman.
But Northwest is available to resume negotiations, spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said of the Eagan-based company.
"The lines of communication between the AFA and Northwest are open," he said.
In their court filing, the airlines said Gropper should have blocked the strike because Northwest and the union, which represents the airline's 9,300 flight attendants, are in mediation sessions with the National Mediation Board (NMB).
Gropper's "decision is grievously mistaken, and its reach will have unprecedented and potentially disastrous consequences" for all airlines and the economy, the Air Transport Association of America and the Airline Industrial Relations Conference said in a filing. The organizations represent more than 20 U.S. airlines, including bankrupt Delta Air Lines and other Northwest competitors.
The government and the airlines said the Railway Labor Act, a federal law governing labor relations in the airline and railroad industries, requires a release from the mediation process before a strike.
"The NMB has not released them from mediation, and therefore had not permitted them to engage in self-help," the airlines said. The Justice Department echoed that statement, saying, "Neither party has been released from mediation."
Besides Atlanta-based Delta, airlines supporting Northwest include Continental, JetBlue, United and Southwest.
"Of course we disagree, and so far the courts have disagreed," David Borer, a lawyer representing the union, said in an interview. "Judge Gropper ruled very clearly that we have the right to strike and that the court does not have the authority to issue an injunction. We expect the same result Friday."
The union has said it will strike because Gropper in July authorized Northwest to impose $195 million in annual pay and benefit cuts as part of a plan to shave $1.4 billion in labor expenses. Northwest has said a strike would violate the Railway Labor Act.
Northwest asked Gropper to block a strike. He denied that request Thursday, and Northwest appealed the next day.
I don't get it...these airlines are passing up on a chance to increase their revenue by adding passengers who would book away from NW because of CHAOS. :blink:
It is apparent that the ATA is trying to wield their influence in contract negotiations between the AFA and NW.
Collusion sucks! :down: :down: :down:
I have a very bad feeling that Dubya is going to come up with another one of his Presidential Emergency Board decrees...maybe that's one of the contingency plans that NW keeps referring to... :unsure:
Interesting I must say.
