Mon, Aug 22, 2005
But Soon, Mechanics' Strike May Be The Least Of Its
Worries
Northwest Airlines was still flying Monday morning, the third
day of a massive mechanics' union strike. But with rising fuel
prices and the need for ongoing concessions from the other unions,
Northwest's toughest days may still be ahead.
"A bankruptcy filing will be a given if they don't get a
concession from other unions," Ray Neidl, airline analyst with
Calyon Securities, told CNN. "It's going to be one on one talks
with each. It's a good sign these unions aren't supporting the
mechanics, but it's by no means certain they'll get what they
need."
As ANN reported on Saturday, the AMFA walked out
as promised when it couldn't reach a contract agreement with the
nation's fourth-biggest airline. But NWA had
been preparing for months. As soon as union mechanics walked off
the job, hundreds of replacement mechanics took over. With only a
slight reduction in its flight schedule, NWA appeared ready to
weather the strike over the long haul. No new talks with unionized
mechanics have been scheduled.
A check of several airports served by NWA on Monday showed no
significant delays and no flight cancellations -- an indication
that the airline's strategy of using non-union mechanics to replace
the strikers was working. So far, there was no indication that
union flight attendants or flight crew members had joined in the
job action.
AMFA union leaders said Sunday they thought Northwest would
eventually feel the pain. "As time progresses, it'll get worse and
they'll have more equipment on the ground," predicted Steve
MacFarlane, the union's assistant national director, in comments
shortly before the start of the strike. He was quoted by CNN.
"Then problems will start because the replacement workers they
hired aren't as skilled as us," he said. "They won't be able to
keep up with the work," said one striking mechanic who asked
Reuters not to use his name. "It used to be when I came to work
Sunday morning, there would be one plane parked outside one of the
maintenance hangars. This morning there were nine planes
there."
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