Striking Northwest Airlines mechanics face union-busting assault

The 4,400 workers walked out after rejecting management demands for a 26 percent pay cut, the elimination of more than half of their jobs, higher payments for health insurance and cuts in sick pay. The airline is also demanding a freeze on pensions and the transformation of the plan into a 401(k)-type “defined contribution” plan, which would entail sharp cuts in retirement benefits and make them subject to the vagaries of the stock exchange.

Northwest was able to continue flying despite the strike because of the refusal of the other unions at the airline to support the mechanics. The Air Line Pilots Association and the International Association of Machinists (IAM), which are members of the AFL-CIO union federation, are crossing the mechanics’ picket lines and continuing to work, as are the flight attendants, organized in the independent Professional Flight Attendants Association (PFAA).

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association is, like the PFAA, not affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Six years ago, the Northwest mechanics, who were then members of the IAM along with baggage handlers and other ground employees, left the IAM and formed their own unit of AMFA. Now the IAM has reportedly agreed to allow some of its members to perform tasks normally done by striking airplane cleaners who are members of AMFA.

Northwest made it clear it would declare a lockout if the mechanics union decided not to strike when a 30-day “cooling-off” period expired at midnight Friday. The company had boasted of having prepared for the past 18 months to launch a strikebreaking operation and had spent over $100 million to hire and house “replacement” mechanics and flight attendants. The airline lined up 1,200 nonunion mechanics, plus 400 vendor workers and 300 managers for a total strikebreaking force of 1,900.

Northwest also threatened to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and follow its rivals, United Airlines and US Airways, in using the bankruptcy courts to terminate its employees’ pension plans and impose sweeping concessions and job cuts.

Picketing mechanics told the World Socialist Web Site that the final Northwest offer contained even deeper cuts than its earlier proposals, underscoring the intention of the company to force the workers out on strike.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2005/aug2005/nwa-a21.shtml