Nwa Looking For Maintenance Scabs

Skymess

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Aug 6, 2004
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Northwest Air: possible mechanics strike
Tuesday May 24, 12:28 pm ET
By Kyle Peterson


CHICAGO (Reuters) - The union negotiating a labor deal for mechanics at Northwest Airlines Corp. (NasdaqNM:NWAC - News) said on Tuesday that the carrier is seeking temporary mechanics to hire in event of a strike.
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The No. 4 U.S. airline, which is seeking a $1.1 billion in annual labor savings, told the union that it is bracing for a possible strike even though the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has issued no such threat, according to union representatives.

"The airline said they had alternative plans in case we couldn't get to an agreement," said AMFA President Ted Ludwig.

He said the Eagan, Minnesota-based airline has hired intermediaries to hunt for replacement workers to fill in for permanent employees in Minnesota and other locations in the upper U.S. Midwest.

AMFA and Northwest have been negotiating a labor deal that would save the airline $176 million annually. The AMFA contract became amendable on May 11, but talks have been in progress since late last year.

Northwest declined to confirm that it was lining up replacement labor, but in a statement alluded to contingency plans.

"Northwest's goal is to resolve labor negotiations through a voluntary consensual agreement," the carrier said. "In order to ensure smooth operations should those efforts fail, however, Northwest has developed contingency plans to be prepared for any eventuality."

AMFA reported on its Web site that Northwest has proposed firing 2,031, or nearly half of its mechanics, in a bid to win its needed labor savings. Northwest is one of several major airlines seeking cost savings to survive in an industry that has been battered by soaring fuel costs and weak revenues.

The airline has declined to comment on its recent proposal, but AMFA leaders have called the prospect devastating. Ludwig said the union has not yet responded to the proposal. Talks between the two parties were set to resume next week.

One airline expert said it would not be surprising if Northwest is lining up replacement mechanics.

"It's a recognition of the difficulty of locating and lining up the licensed personal," said airline consultant Robert Mann. He said finding aircraft mechanics on short notice could be difficult.

Shares of Northwest fell 15 cents, or 2.75 percent, to $5.31 in morning trade on Nasdaq.
 
A company called STS (don't know what it means) was recently at a AA/twu job fair at MCIE (AA's Kansas City Maintenance Base) to recruit scabs from the layoffs occuring in June at the AA base. This was in preparation for a NWA strike or lockout this year. Of course, our POS union the twu assisted in the effort. We heard they were offering free tools, protected rides for the scabs, $1000 bonuses to be a scab, and if you last, $1000 after the job action is over. The pay was rumored to be $22 hr plus $10hr pre-deim. Also free room and board. If we hear of any more details we will be sure to pass them along.

Stay strong guys. We will hopefully be giving the twu sellouts a boot out the door this year so we can join you in the fight for our profession. Take care. ;)
 
"Stay strong guys. We will hopefully be giving the twu sellouts a boot out the door this year so we can join you in the fight for our profession. Take care. " Now THIS is what I call UNIONISM!
 
This solicitation for scabs at NWA came in my mail today. Several other AA mechanics got this SCAB mailing also. I believe Northwest management is going to try an ILLEGAL LOCKOUT on the AMT's at NWA. Click on thumbnail to get a better view.
 
North by Northwest said:
"Stay strong guys. We will hopefully be giving the twu sellouts a boot out the door this year so we can join you in the fight for our profession. Take care. " Now THIS is what I call UNIONISM!
[post="272767"][/post]​
Yeah, its tough to be a unionist in a union of cowards whom bend over for the AA master at the very hint of trouble. Many of us at AA feel we have let the whole industry down with allowing the twu to remain with AA M@R and sellout contract after contract. We will rectify this very soon. Don't give an inch or they will take a mile, as we have witnessed at AA.
 
It is so, so very sad that this once great American icon of an industry is deteriorating so rapidly. Time to bring back the great Trains...and make'em super fast!
 
North by Northwest said:
It is so, so very sad that this once great American icon of an industry is deteriorating so rapidly. Time to bring back the great Trains...and make'em super fast!
[post="272804"][/post]​

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's TIME to "dig up" Jimmy Hoffa, and equipt EVERYONE with a "Louisville slugger"!!!!!!!

NH/BB's
 
To all NWA union folks. Wanna give your HR dept some Mechanics resume's!!! Make up some fake resume's, fill them with ultra fine glitter (the stuff gradeschool kids use). and mail them to the address they are advertising. If every nwa mechanic took 10 minutes to do this and mailed it to the HR Dept. they would get a good mess-age. Also, Faxing multiple all black pages to company fax numbers uses quite a bit of toner.......

This might sound sophomoric and infintale, but it sure can be fun!!! Just don't use a msp/ mailing address/ number!
 

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