Strike Potential Grows as Northwest Mechanics Request End to Mediation.MINNEAPOLIS -- Northwest Airlines mechanics, cleaners and custodians, frustrated by the airline's refusal to take contracts talks seriously, have asked the National Mediation Board The National Mediation Board is a three-person board created in 1934 by an act amending the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C.A. §§ 151–158, 160–162, 1181–1188) to resolve disputes in the railroad and airline industries that could disrupt travel or imperil the (NMB NMB new methylene blue. ) to release them from the process. The release, if granted, would automatically start the 30-day cooling off period before a strike, in accordance with the Railway Labor Act The Railway Labor Act is a United States federal law that governs labor relations in the railway and airline industries.. The Act, passed in 1926 and amended in 1936 to apply to the airline industry, seeks to substitute bargaining, arbitration and mediation for strikes as a means that governs airline labor relations. "Northwest Airlines has already laid off AMFA AMFA Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association AMFA Alternative Motor Fuels Act (PL 100-494) AMFA Asociación Movimiento Fe y AlegrÃa (Association for Activities of Faith and Joy; Guatemala) members in greater numbers than any other employee group and wants to continue making AMFA bear an unfair portion of the savings the airline says it needs. Northwest already rejected our substantial offer to help out further," said O.V. Delle-Femine, national director of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) is an independent union that represents aircraft maintenance employees of commercial airlines in the United States. AMFA is committed to the principles of craft unionism, in that it seeks to represent only airline mechanics and (AMFA). "The truth is that Northwest's biggest problems today are the high cost of fuel and under-funded pensions, not labor. Management is trying to exploit this economic situation to bust our union. Mechanics at low-cost carrier A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills or discount carrier / airline) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. Southwest Airlines make more than our Northwest members, and that's even before any additional pay cuts would occur," he said. According to Delle-Femine, "Northwest management, by not budging from their initial economic proposal, has shown that they never intended to negotiate in earnest. That leaves us no option except to ask the NMB to end the talks and move us forward toward a strike." Last week, AMFA's national leadership authorized a strike vote. AMFA's Northwest Airlines members have until 10:00 a.m. on July 19 to cast their ballots. Approval would allow the national leaders to call a strike at any time of their choosing after the end of the mandated 30-day cooling-off period An interval of time during which no action of a specific type can be taken by either side in a dispute. An automatic delay in certain jurisdictions, apart from ordinary court delays, between the time when Divorce papers are filed and the divorce hearing takes place. . Northwest summarily dismissed a recent AMFA proposal that included a 16.1 percent pay cut and other concessions. The airline has not moved from its initial proposal that seeks to save about $176 million per year through extensive job losses, pay reductions of 25-26 percent and other major concessions. |
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