Northwest Flight Attendants OK’d to Strike

by Mike Hall, Aug 18, 2006

After Northwest Airlines flight attendants twice voted down a concession-loaded contract, the company July 31 imposed a new contract and work rules on its flight attendants, but that wasn’t enough for the Northwest. The company also asked a federal bankruptcy court to take away the flight attendants’ right to strike. 

Yesterday, the court said “no” to Northwest and “yes” to the right to strike by members of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).

Says Molly Reiley, head of the flight attendants unit: 

Today, we sent a strong message to corporate America: You cannot keep taking from your employees without a fight. Now, Northwest management has one more chance. They have the choice to either set greed aside for once and agree to a fair and equitable contract, or they will face CHAOS. Management needs to reduce their demands and do it in a hurry.

The bankruptcy’s court’s denial of Northwest’s request for an injunction to prevent a strike means Northwest could be thrown into CHAOS™ (Create Havoc Around Our System™), AFA-CWA’s strategy of targeted work actions using random, unannounced strikes.
 
Although the actions originally were set to begin Aug. 15, the union delayed any action last week after the security level at airports was raised because of terrorism threats. Reiley said at the time:

We must give our immediate attention and vigilance to all safety and security procedures at this time. However, we renew our commitment to a fair contract and stand ready to engage in CHAOS if Northwest management is unwilling to reach a fair agreement that fully recognizes our role and our value as safety and security professionals.

Today, AFA-CWA members will picket and leaflet at several major airports to let the flying public know that Northwest may force the flight attendants to take job actions starting Aug. 25.
 
Earlier this week, Northwest management got egg on its face and was forced to apologize to employees after issuing a booklet for ground workers facing layoffs. The booklet offered such money-saving suggestions as digging through trash bins for buried treasures and selling their homes.

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