Tue, Oct 04, 2005
Pledge Foretells Big Cuts In Workforce
It was designed as a briefing for
stockholders, but it's a chilling look into the future for
Northwest Airlines workers. Now in bankruptcy, the airline Friday
revealed its plans to restructure -- including 2,644 layoffs and
the desire to obtain from labor another $195 million in pay and
benefit concessions.
Northwest Airlines is making ready for what it sees as war -- a
battle between low-cost carriers, not just for control of the
commercial aviation market, but for survival.
If the plan presented in New York on Friday survives, Northwest
will outsource much of its international traffic to foreign
carriers. It may start a regional airline and plans to cut salaries
even more than it has to this point. For instance, according to the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the carrier would chop a flight
attendant's salary 20-percent just to keep afloat.
Northwest flight crews, who've already taken a huge cut in pay,
aren't willing to stand by idly and let this happen.
"We're not willing to let them outsource a bunch of jobs to
regional carriers," union leader Mark McClain told the Star-Tribune
last week. "That is flying Northwest pilots should do."
Still, there is talk that Northwest will ground many of the
aircraft it leases to regional partners like Mesaba and Pinnacle,
prompting a warning from union leaders: "An attempt by management
to rush this complex issue to completion through the Chapter 11
process may lead to a major confrontation with this pilot
group."
More News
Aero Linx: JAARS Nearly 1.5 billion people, using more than 5,500 languages, do not have a full Bible in their first language. Many of these people live in the most remote parts of>[...]
'Airplane Bounced Twice On The Grass Runway, Resulting In The Nose Wheel Separating From The Airplane...' Analysis: The pilot reported, “upon touchdown, the plane jumped back>[...]
"Burt is best known to the public for his historic designs of SpaceShipOne, Voyager, and GlobalFlyer, but for EAA members and aviation aficionados, his unique concepts began more t>[...]
"Polaris Dawn, the first of the program’s three human spaceflight missions, is targeted to launch to orbit no earlier than summer 2024. During the five-day mission, the crew >[...]
There Are SO Many Ways To Get YOUR Aero-News! It’s been a while since we have reminded everyone about all the ways we offer your daily dose of aviation news on-the-go...so he>[...]