Northwest Flight Attendants Reject Contract
Published on: August 1, 2006

Northwest Airlines flight attendants rejected a new contract that would cut their wages, setting the stage for a possible strike as early as mid-August. In response, Northwest said it would impose its own terms unilaterally. The flight attendants' union responded by threatening random or unannounced job actions. The Association of Flight Attendants said it would give 15 days' notice before any job action. Northwest had previously been given permission its bankruptcy court judge to impose an earlier tentative agreement rejected by 80 percent of flight attendants in June. The airline has said any strike would be illegal and that it would seek a court order to block one. The latest vote was 55 percent against the new contract and 45 percent in favor. Under the proposed contract, flight attendants would see pay cuts or roughly 21 percent. The union said the reduction amounted to 40 percent once health care costs and other givebacks were factored in. Northwest's new agreements with its pilots and ground workers reportedly cannot take effect until it has a new contract with flight attendants, either one that is accepted by the attendants or one that the airline imposes on them. Northwest said it was disappointed that its flight attendants failed to approve the tentative contract agreement reached earlier this month between the company and the union. "The tentative agreement was a product of nearly around-the-clock negotiations involving substantial compromise on the part of both parties," said Mike Becker, senior vice president of human resources and labor relations. "We reached a consensual agreement with the new union recently chosen by our flight attendants and had hoped that Northwest flight attendants would ratify the agreement. Notwithstanding the results of the flight attendants' contract vote, Northwest must continue to move forward with its restructuring efforts. As previously approved by the court, we now are implementing new contract terms and conditions for our flight attendants which are consistent with the judge's order and with the March 1 tentative contract agreement which was not ratified. This action will result in the required $195 million in annual savings." For more information, visit www.nwa.com.

Great. I am flying NWA tomorrow, Friday, next Monday, and Thursday.

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Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
Great. I am flying NWA tomorrow, Friday, next Monday, and Thursday.

I wouldn't worry too much, yet.

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...setting the stage for a possible strike as early as mid-August.

The Association of Flight Attendants said it would give 15 days' notice before any job action.

Next week is inside the 15 day lead time...

I'm glad I'm leaving on the 14th !!!!

D. Nelson

My flight to Detroit to catch a KLM flight is noonish on August 15!

Oh what fun we have. Either just going to make it, or just get caught by the strike.

BBBLLLLLAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about the end of August?

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Originally posted by Don_G:
What about the end of August?

Geez Don! When I saw this I crossed my fingers you didn't have a leg on Northwest! Man, the good luck can kick in anytime soon, eh.

Cheers
Canuck

How could you tell if NWA flight attendants had a work stoppage?

You know, the same crap happened last year with the mechanics. Caused me to leave a day earlier just so I wouldn't have problems.

I am so sick and tired of this BS. I was in a hotel shuttle van last week talking to an FO. He made some comment about airline pay, etc. I said, "You know why America is so great? Because you can quit that job anytime you want."

I don't know what I am more sick of: pilots who think they "save" lives (doctors save lives, pilots just prevent accidents), flight attendants and mechanics who take their frustrations out on passengers, airline C level officers who think they deserve millions for destroying thousands of jobs due to bad decisions (like not hedging fuel), fat passengers taking up half my seat, or business people flying in the front on free upgrades who think the sun shines out of their ass.

Why NWA can't make money is beyond me. They charge as much as anyone. If their labor costs are out of line with the competition, then they should be brought in line. But if not, management should get whacked.

AZ-Don't hold back man, tell us how you really feel.LOL

Go ahead and get it all out.You will feel better and so will I.

I am booked with them on the 11 of Aug.Sooooooooo...

Eyedoc:

I used to live in northern MN and I traveled every week. When the pilots went on strike, I got burned big time (only carrier). Moved to Phoenix shortly after but kept the house until 2003 (my daughter's sake).

I am glad to be in the land of more than one carrier.

Glad to make you feel better.

What other type job would a flight attendant be qualified for? Waitress? Hostess? Busboy?

Another idle threat

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Originally posted by onefunzr2:
What other type job would a flight attendant be qualified for? Waitress? Hostess? Busboy?

You can say that about the pilots in spades. Only difference is, the flight attendants would have a much better chance of matching their income being a waitress. The pilots could never do that. The sad thing is most pilots are pretty bright guys that would probably do well on their own. But most will never know and will stick with the airlines and ride it all the way down.

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Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

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Originally posted by onefunzr2:
What other type job would a flight attendant be qualified for? Waitress? Hostess? Busboy?

You can say that about the pilots in spades. Only difference is, the flight attendants would have a much better chance of matching their income being a waitress. The pilots could never do that. The sad thing is most pilots are pretty bright guys that would probably do well on their own. But most will never know and will stick with the airlines and ride it all the way down.

Gee, tell us how you really feel. You must really hate pilots. The reason airline pilots don't change airlines is the fact one has to start over at the bottom of the seniority list. Do you really think I want to exchange my 100K salary for a new airline paying a starting salary of about 25K a year? Not to mention that if I quit I would lose whatever pension that I might get when I turn 60. As for doing well on my own, I trained for many years, flew night freight and with a commuter to get this job. At 45, while I may be a "pretty bright guy", I am specialized. It is not like I want to walk away from my carrier and spend the next 4-6 years paying and training for an entirely different career. It was my career choice in my 20's and so far has been profitable. I wish aviation had more stability but since it doesn't I have to live with it.

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Originally posted by RAC:

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Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

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Originally posted by onefunzr2:
What other type job would a flight attendant be qualified for? Waitress? Hostess? Busboy?

You can say that about the pilots in spades. Only difference is, the flight attendants would have a much better chance of matching their income being a waitress. The pilots could never do that. The sad thing is most pilots are pretty bright guys that would probably do well on their own. But most will never know and will stick with the airlines and ride it all the way down.

Gee, tell us how you really feel. You must really hate pilots. The reason airline pilots don't change airlines is the fact one has to start over at the bottom of the seniority list. Do you really think I want to exchange my 100K salary for a new airline paying a starting salary of about 25K a year? Not to mention that if I quit I would lose whatever pension that I might get when I turn 60. As for doing well on my own, I trained for many years, flew night freight and with a commuter to get this job. At 45, while I may be a "pretty bright guy", I am specialized. It is not like I want to walk away from my carrier and spend the next 4-6 years paying and training for an entirely different career. It was my career choice in my 20's and so far has been profitable. I wish aviation had more stability but since it doesn't I have to live with it.

RAC:

No, I don't hate pilots (a friend of mine is a pilot for AA, which I am guessing is who you fly for), but I do have a lot of pent up anger from when NWA went on strike in 98 and really screwed me. They didn't care how many people they screwed up. NWA was the only carrier in town. Well, guess what? I swore I would never live in a place with one carrier again. What you and your brethern in the industry don't realize is that every time you strike you alienate the customers who pay your salary. Ultimately, it costs your company business. I can't think of a dumber move. The whole industry needs to think of a better way to extract their demands - going on strike is not the way.

I am not suggesting you fly someone else - I am suggesting the industry has a glut of pilots, and supply and demand being what it is...

BTW, there are plenty of engineers in their 20s and 30s who make over 100k (but they work more than 14 days a month). In my line of work, it is tough to hire anyone for much less, at least in the US.

I flew today on NWA and talked with the flight attendants. The purser on my flight said she is taking a 40% pay cut. You know what? I say go on strike. I would quit a job faced with those options, but since they can go on strike and take the airline down with them, I guess that is a risk NWA will have to take. Apparently there is no love lost. Ironically, the flight attendant said Southwest flight attendants get paid more than NWA. So what is your union doing for you in those circumstances?

On the other hand RAC, AA, NWA, United and all the other legacy carriers have management that is overpaid and apparently incompetent. NWA had a CEO who came from Burger King. Give me a break. Richard Branson, who owns Virgin Atlantic, has acted as a flight attendant; he found out the carts he bought were too bulky. The CEO of Jet Blue cleans an airplane once per week. When is the last time a CEO at AA or NWA cleaned a plane or served drinks?

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Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
....but I do have a lot of pent up anger from when NWA went on strike in 98 and really screwed me. They didn't care how many people they screwed up. NWA was the only carrier in town. Well, guess what? I swore I would never live in a place with one carrier again.

But above, you claim to be platinum and fly a bunch on NWA. If you now have a choice, why?

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What you and your brethern in the industry don't realize is that every time you strike you alienate the customers who pay your salary. Ultimately, it costs your company business.

As long as tickets are cheap enough, the US public will continue to fly. You're platinum. Been to the airport lately? Crowded? Been on a plane lately? Crowded? Yes, more crowded than ever actually. More people are flying than ever. Alienated? Scared? Hardly. When a bankrupt airline can fill it's seats, that says something about how much an airline can do to "alienate" people. When an airline threatening a strike (or actually even ON strike, as in NWA mechanics), can fill it's seats, it says something about how much the US public takes air travel as a given. They'll bitch about it the whole way to the airport, but they'll still be going to the airport...

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The whole industry needs to think of a better way to extract their demands - going on strike is not the way.

Followed by....

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I flew today on NWA and talked with the flight attendants. The purser on my flight said she is taking a 40% pay cut. You know what? I say go on strike.

Which way is it??

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NWA had a CEO who came from Burger King. Give me a break.

And yet you still fly them. A lot. So it apparently doesn't mean much to you, but just gives you senseless stuff to ramble and bash with.

I see a lot of double talk (and double standards) in your posts.

What I see is a typical writer, regurgitating the same stuff, but not quite able to keep his story straight as he goes. Go for controversy. Go for shock. Recycle, rewrite, resell.

Cold Bore:

I am elite on United as well, and Platinum on NW also applies to Continental for upgrades and gives you priority on Delta. So what it means is that I fly all those airlines (you choose one program and the other airlines put your miles on them - since I was Plat on NWA from the days I flew only them, that is where I put my miles).

The difference is that today i have a choice. Eight years ago I had no choice, because I lived in an area only served only by NWA. Today I live in an area served by many airlines. If you read the whole thread, I hold everyone accountable, from management on down.

Yes, I still fly NWA because they are often the least expensive carrier for the places I need to go. I have no loyalty at all to any airline anymore, esp NWA. I also fly Continental and Delta a lot, as well as United. I have to fly someone.

Cold Bore, the pilot strike caused me to make a decision to move to a place with more than one carrier - that caused them to loose business. Do I still fly them? Of course. But I don't pay 600-1000/ticket like I used to - my ticket this week was 320 bucks - a fare I never paid when NWA was the single carrier. Who knows who else made moves to reduce NWA business? Southwest and Jet Blue is booming. Why?

You are right that I contradicted myself on the strike issue. But the whole subject is near and dear to my heart, and coming from a guy that seems to bash a lot himself, you should understand.

One last point Cold Bore. Rewrite, resell? I don't get paid a dime for writing here. Sometimes I feel like I am wasting my time when I could be writing to be paid (why aren't there "famous" writers on here?). I certainly am not reselling anything here.