Northwest Attendants Reject Contract

Airline's Plan to Cut Wages May Lead to Strike

Northwest says it will go ahead with its cost-cutting plan, despite its flights attendants' disapproval. (By Paul Sancya -- Associated Press)

Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines Corp. rejected a contract yesterday that would have cut their pay and benefits by more than 20 percent, moving a step closer to a strike.

Northwest, which has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since September, said it would still implement the cost-cutting agreement today, a move that could trigger a strike. Union leaders said they would give the airline 15 days' notice before flight attendants walk off their jobs. More than 55 percent of the 9,300 flight attendants at the nation's fifth-largest airline voted against the new contract.

Northwest has a limited presence at Washington area airports, with eight daily flights out of Dulles International, 19 daily flights at Reagan National and 13 at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall airports. All of the flights are direct to the airline's hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis or Memphis.

Flight attendants faced pay cuts of about 21 percent, or about $195 million a year, under the proposed contract. The union said the reduction amounted to 40 percent once health care costs and other benefits were included. The flight attendants rejected the decision of the union negotiator who approved the contract last month and presented it to the members for a vote.

Union officials declined to comment on when they might issue a 15-day warning. "We could give it at any point now," said Corey Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants.

Union leaders and airline negotiators were not talking last night and no talks were scheduled.

Caldwell said any job actions would be random and aimed at disrupting Northwest's flight operations. Among the potential actions: Flight attendants could walk off planes, not show up to work or strike at specific airports, Caldwell said.

"It creates chaos, and it is virtually impossible for management to anticipate and react to it," Caldwell said.

Some travel experts are encouraging customers not to book on Northwest until an agreement is reached. "The bottom line: Book away from Northwest, at least through this week, until we can see how the situation develops," Joe Brancatelli, editor and publisher of business travel site http://www.joesentme.com/ , said in a statement. "And if you must fly Northwest, do not assume Northwest can or will 'protect' you if a flight is cancelled."

In June, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan L. Gropper granted the airline's motion to reject the flight attendants' contract if both sides were unable to reach an agreement. Northwest already had reached concession pacts with its other unions, but those would not go into effect until all contracts were established.

"Notwithstanding the results of the flight attendants' contract vote, Northwest must continue to move forward with its restructuring efforts," Mike Becker, Northwest's senior vice president of human resources and labor relations, said in a statement. "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."

Northwest is seeking the cheaper contracts as the industry is experiencing one of its strongest periods in years, because of higher fares and fuller flights. Yesterday, United Airlines' parent, UAL Corp., reported a second-quarter profit of $119 million, or 93 cents a share, its first profit in six years. United emerged from bankruptcy protection in January. Other airlines, including US Airways, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, also recently reported robust quarterly profits. Northwest has not yet released its second-quarter results.

In August, Northwest's 4,400 mechanics and maintenance workers walked off their jobs in the first major airline strike since 1998. Northwest experienced only minor disruptions because it immediately replaced its mechanics with laid-off workers. The airline has not indicated that it has similar plans this time.

If Northwest's flight attendants walk off their jobs, it is unclear whether flight attendants at other airlines would also strike. In the past, sympathetic unions commonly sided with striking workers and launched actions of their own.

Now, many union workers prefer to keep their jobs at lower wages than risk losing them through labor strife.