NORTHWEST UNIONS SUPPORT PILOTS; CARRIER AND STRIKERS FAR APART OVER ISSUES.Byline: Karen Mills Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. As flight attendants and other union workers at Northwest Airlines rallied Friday, the carrier and its striking pilots prepared for a meeting that was not expected to yield any breakthroughs. The most either side expected from today's meeting in Chicago with federal mediators was a date for future negotiations. ``Right now, they are so far apart it's hard to know what could be done,'' said former Vice President Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (largely established by former Vice President Hubert Humphrey). , who sits on Northwest's board of directors. ``Every day the strike goes on, that franchise is imperiled. There's no good in this for anybody.'' Two other airline disputes also simmered Friday. Negotiators for AirTran and its 500 flight attendants continued negotiating before a midnight deadline for threatened flight disruptions. Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran serves 37 cities with 284 flights daily. The flight attendants have been without a contract since they organized three years ago as employees of what was then ValuJet Airlines This article or section has multiple issues: * It needs additional references or sources for verification. Please help [ improve the article] or discuss these issues on the talk page. . Air Canada, with 2,100 pilots on strike since Tuesday, was set to lay off nearly half of its 23,000 employees Saturday. The pilots are seeking a 12 percent pay increase over two years. The company is offering 9 percent. The strike by Northwest pilots has been marked by bitter public exchanges, including full-page newspaper ads, as both sides dig in over compensation and job security issues. Joseph Daly, labor arbitrator for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is an independent agency of the U.S. government that seeks to prevent or settle disputes between labor unions and management that affect interstate commerce. and law professor at Hamline University Hamline University was founded in 1854 in Red Wing, Minnesota, USA, as the first institution of higher education in the state. in St. Paul St. Paul as a missionary he fearlessly confronts the “perils of waters, of robbers, in the city, in the wilderness.” [N.T.: II Cor. 11:26] See : Bravery , said federal mediator Maggie Jacobsen will need ``good old-fashioned head-banging, shouting and threats'' to get the two sides back to the table. Northwest earlier canceled all flights through Tuesday and all incoming flights from Europe and Asia through Wednesday. Two feeder carriers that provide service as Northwest Airlink - Mesaba Airlines Mesaba Airlines is an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota. The airline operates under Mesaba Aviation, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines. All of its flights are operated under the name Northwest Airlink for Northwest Airlines. and Express Airlines I - also have discontinued service because Northwest normally handles their ground operations and most of their passengers connect to Northwest flights. Spokesmen for both carriers said they had received no further communication from Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater Perhaps you would like to read about one of:
About 27,700 of Northwest's 50,000 employees have been laid off since the airline's 6,100 pilots went on strike. Thousands of the employees rallied in 14 cities served by Northwest around the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. on Friday to show their solidarity with pilots. Northwest has open contracts with all six of its unions. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Northwest flight attendants Gail Moore, left, and Jackie Deal rally with others at Detroit Metro Airport in support of striking pilots Friday. (2--Color) Striking Northwest Airlines pilots picket outside Detroit Metro Airport on Friday, the seventh day of their strike. (3) Briana Bower, 4, marches with her mother, Belea, a Northwest flight attendant who joined supporters of the striking pilots. Michael S. Green/Associated Press |
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