SECURITY SIGNALS
NWA mechanics picket to protest outsourcing aircraft maintenance
BY MARTIN J. MOYLAN
Pioneer Press
Northwest Airlines' union mechanics looked to win public support Friday for their efforts to stem the airline's outsourcing of aircraft maintenance — both domestically and overseas — and tighten what mechanics complain are lax security standards for non-airline employees who service commercial airliners.
Working in shifts throughout a day when temperatures hit the high 80s, some 100 mechanics picketed and distributed leaflets at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.They carried signs saying, "Aviation Security is National Security" and "Unemployed Due To Outsourcing."
"We want to get the message out about how they don't have to go through the same security checks we do — the 10-year background checks, the fingerprinting," said Jim Atkinson, president of Local 33 of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. "There's a big gap in aviation security."
Then there's the jobs issue. Some 2,700 mechanics laid off by Northwest in the past three years could be back at work if the airline did all its maintenance in-house, rather than sending much of it to be done by outside firms in the United States and Asia, Atkinson said.
But the union feels that any maintenance work by non-Northwest mechanics, whether done in the United States or abroad, can compromise security.
The union is urging citizens to contact their representatives in Washington, D.C., and call for greater security requirements and a halt to the flow of jobs overseas. It has launched a Web site devoted to the issue: aviationoutsourcing.com.
Security and safety are touchy issues in the airline industry, reflected in earlier warnings from Northwest that workers who questioned the carrier's safety during informational picketing could be fired.
Later, the airline said it respected the right of workers to picket "so long as their behavior is not disparaging to the business of Northwest Airlines."
Eagan-based Northwest insists that while its costs for outsourced maintenance are lower than they are for in-house maintenance, quality, safety and security are not compromised. No U.S. carrier does all of its aircraft maintenance in-house, and many send much more work to outside vendors than Northwest does, the airline has said.
The mechanics' concerns resonated with at least some of the passengers who lingered outside the airport's main terminal Friday.
"I think they're right on the money," said Jason Garson of Cleveland. "Anything involving the maintenance or security of a domestic airline should be done domestically, unless they meet the same security standards we have in the U.S."
Art Stursberg, a union carpenter from New York, had similar views. "What will it take?" he said. "A couple of planes taking a dive? They're trying to bust the union. You see this all over the place."
Mark Natzel of Glencoe, Minn., said he doesn't assume planes maintained by outside vendors are unsafe but the Northwest mechanics raise concerns that warrant attention. For him, the jobs argument hit home more.
"If we outsource it, it doesn't do much for our economy," he said.
Yet others were more skeptical. Rayna Brandt of Wausau, Wis., said she figures proper checks are in place to ensure planes are well-maintained and secure even when outside vendors work on them.
"With all the security here, I'm not that concerned about it," she said.
Dave Green of Kansas City said the mechanics must recognize the intense competitive pressures Northwest faces to cut costs.
"Northwest is competing with some pretty tough airlines, and Northwest owes it to shareholders to keep costs down," he said. "If it doesn't, the other airlines will run it out of business."
The mechanics' contract with Northwest limits the airline to spending 38 percent of maintenance labor dollars with outside vendors, and it will likely bump up against that limit this year, Atkinson said.
The airline has signaled that it would like to negotiate the right to raise the ceiling to about 48 percent, he added.
Northwest has said it hires vendors for about 25 percent of the heavy maintenance work on its planes. And about half of its outsourced maintenance work is done in Asia. Note other sources says this number is higher!
The airline, which has lost about $2.1 billion on its operations since the start of 2001, has deemed the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance a "competitive tool" in its drive to regain profitability.
Like I said this was a complete flop!!! Look at what TWU did when the bases were threatened to be closed!!!! It is obvious the difference in representation! Dont be fooled by the lies and deception Amfa is famous for!!!!