August 25th STRIKE

[AFT_LOVER]

Just on CNN, the Association of Flight Attendants has plans to DISRUPT AIR TRAVEL on August 25. I posted last week for folks on NWA to check on their flights since I was overhearing their attendants with a vote to strike. So not sure if it is across the boards, just NWA or their partners of DL, CO, and international ones.

 

Have flight insurance for this one just in case they cancel flights if it is system wide.

 

Call or email me, I will work for free air travel that day............. RT CLE

[yogimax]

The actual potential "strike" date is August 26th and it is limited to Northwest. Unfortunately, management and the new flight attendant's union are at an impasse. (actually the new union recommended to their membership the last offer of management, but the rank-and-file rejected it).

 

The tactic of the union is something called CHAOS and involves the RANDOM targeting of flights or airports.

 

Thus, this would not be a systemwide strike, but rather a targeted action which the union believes will exempt the flight attendants from being disciplined or fired. Unfortunately for the union and FA's there is no consistent legal precedent established.

 

Hopefully, both management and union membership will come to their respective senses and negotiate an agreement.

[Cruisechick82]

We are flying on August 26th. We are on American though, not Northwest. I hope nothing keeps us from our cruise!

[Autumnrose]

Which means if the use CHAOS and not an actual strike your insurance most likely will not cover you.

[beancounterbeth]

Is this just Northwest? I am flying to Miami from Tulsa on Continental that day for our cruise. :eek:

[yogimax]

Is this just Northwest?

 

I think I said it before but I will repeat... YES, it is ONLY Northwest

[beancounterbeth]

Yogimax, calm down. :p

[sunviking82]

Northwest has prepared sub attendants (aka scabs) and management. This is not an all out strike, but a flight here or there maybe disrupted by 15 minutes up to 2 hours. But like the machanics strike NWA is more prepared then they are letting on.

 

I wouldn't worry about it.;)

[yogimax]

Yogimax, calm down. :p

 

I'll try beth, but many folks panic when they hear that horrific word, "strike."

 

Better to make it perfectly clear to everyone that it is only Northwest than to have folks calling their TAs, cruise lines and airlines with unfounded fears.:)

[AFT_LOVER]

http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/17/news/companies/northwest_flightattendants/index.htm?cnn=yes

[yogimax]

Just to clear up the date issue...

 

In response to the recent terrorist arrests, the union has pledged not to enforce CHAOS before the 26th of August.

 

And, if anyone cares, yes, I have two flights booked on Northwest on the

26th.

[karessamom]

I thought the so called possible "strike" was related to Northwest's bankruptcy problems?? I may be wrong but that's what i thought I heard.

(something in the agreement of pay that the bankruptcy attorneys requested but the Flight Attendents Union rejected)

[yogimax]

I thought the so called possible "strike" was related to Northwest's bankruptcy problems?? I may be wrong but that's what i thought I heard.

(something in the agreement of pay that the bankruptcy attorneys requested but the Flight Attendents Union rejected)

 

The issue is salary and related cuts that NW must have from all its workers. Agreements have already been reached with the pilots, ground staff, mechanics, but it all hinges on the final union namely, the flight attendants.

 

The flight attendants "fired" their old union. They then rejected the agreement that their new union recommended.

 

It is a tough issue, because the flight attendants are not that well paid to begin with and a percentage cut in wages and benefits hits them more than the much higher paid pilots.

 

The problem is that a full strike would likely mean the end of Northwest, since they would not be able to emerge from bankrupcy as a viable entity, but would have to liquidate.

 

Sad story all the way around. Let's hope an agreement can be reached!

[dirtgirl]

Man, I am tired of all these strikes at the airport! :mad: Three of the past 4 vacations we have had have all been affected one way or another by strike action. We were caught in the NWA situation last year, and I never want to fly with them again. What should have been an exciting time planning our trip was replaced by worry that we would miss our cruise.

 

Now security guards at YVR (Vancouver) have threatened to shut down the entire airport next week. They have no public support, as it is seen as a purely opportunistic move on their part at this difficult time. And, of course, we fly next week.:rolleyes: Not on NWA though, and I feel for those placed in this situation yet again.

[rsinj]

It is a tough issue, because the flight attendants are not that well paid to begin with and a percentage cut in wages and benefits hits them more than the much higher paid pilots.

 

The problem is that a full strike would likely mean the end of Northwest, since they would not be able to emerge from bankrupcy as a viable entity, but would have to liquidate.

 

Sad story all the way around. Let's hope an agreement can be reached!

 

Actually, it's about time one of the major airlines goes under and is liquidated because this silly routine of taking on massive debt, running your business unprofitably for years, then when things don't work out just run for bankruptcy protection, wipe all your debt out, throw your billions of dollars in pension liabilities on to the PBGC and the taxpayers, emerge from bankruptcy with little liabilities and then begin to post profits again at everyone elses expense - it's getting old already. We need one of these companies to be made an example of - and Northwest would be a fine one to shut down.

 

We have a free market economy. If you can't run a buisiness profitably, then that business dies. These companies have no right to 9 lives, yet many of them have been through the bankruptcy process more than once. Those flight attendants have every right to an all out strike and they should. The major airlines have pushed their employees around far too long and the cuts they want here and currently forced on the attendants is ludicrous.

 

I personally have no ties to NWA or any of their employees - just sick and tired of watching this merry-go-round another time. There will initially be some disruption if there is a NWA flight attendent strike and/or shutdown - but, people buying tickets on a bankrupt airline should consider the possible ramifications. Your plane ticket is only as good as the company standing behind it.

 

 

Howard

[AFT_LOVER]

after our Princess S Carib cruise & we are flying FC & very excited about it. The transfer bus gets us toSan Juan airport to see an enormous amount of folks standing around. NWA mechanics went on strike on the Friday after Thanksgiving. No flights! Even CO who is a partner is sold out even for a Clevelander, their hub. So we are stuck til Monday. A holiday weekend & SJ is sold out for hotels.

 

Never again for NWA, they can liquidate today, sme with Delta who is taking no Skymiles for flights to Miami, LAX, Gatwick, or Maui. We are waitlisted for each flight tho I phoned at 12:01AM on day 331 so I am #1 calling for a Skymiles seat as I've done for 10 years with our Maui timeshare, which is for sale or rent.

 

When C/S *ucks, that is the end of companies for me.

[yogimax]

Actually, it's about time one of the major airlines goes under and is liquidated

 

Those flight attendants have every right to an all out strike and they should.

 

Howard

 

Unfortunately, there are consequences - major consequences. The economies of Detroit and Minneapolis are heavily dependent upon Northwest and a liquidation would be distrous to the local economies.

 

As far as the flight attendants conducting an all out strike... Simply, that would mean the end of the airline, the FA's jobs and the jobs of every other employee.

 

In addition, it would LESSEN competition among the airlines. I know you are advocating a free market economy, but a free market economy thrives on competition.

 

Just my thoughts...

 

Yogi

[seamama1]

I'm right with ya, rsinj.....

 

The airlines - all of them - have been commiting suicide since deregulation. Many have been successful and more to come. Greed is the motivator. They are so busy trying to cut each others throats that they have forgotten their most important assets: 1) their employees. If the people who operate your company are treated like indentured servants, no raises, cuts in pay, extended hours, lock-outs, union busting and other indignities - then it effects - 2) the traveling public who are treated like cattle, who are sick and tired of the lack of basic services from the airline, no customer service, cancelled flights, delays, delays, delays, bad attitudes from employees....on and on.

 

Sooner or later it all falls apart. Just think of all the major carriers that have died over the past 20 years. Northwest will just be another one. Others either have been or still are operating under bankruptcy protection and some will fall. You can't treat your employees and your customer base like crap and expect to be profitable or to remain in business.

 

Sad but true.

[Autumnrose]

I'm right with ya, rsinj.....

 

The airlines - all of them - have been commiting suicide since deregulation. Many have been successful and more to come. Greed is the motivator. They are so busy trying to cut each others throats that they have forgotten their most important assets: 1) their employees. If the people who operate your company are treated like indentured servants, no raises, cuts in pay, extended hours, lock-outs, union busting and other indignities - then it effects - 2) the traveling public who are treated like cattle, who are sick and tired of the lack of basic services from the airline, no customer service, cancelled flights, delays, delays, delays, bad attitudes from employees....on and on.

 

Sooner or later it all falls apart. Just think of all the major carriers that have died over the past 20 years. Northwest will just be another one. Others either have been or still are operating under bankruptcy protection and some will fall. You can't treat your employees and your customer base like crap and expect to be profitable or to remain in business.

 

Sad but true.

 

I am torn. I go back and forth on this issue. I do agree with you but then again sometimes I just feel that if the employees don't like it then they should go somewhere else. Other people will be happy to take their place. I think either they take the pay cut or they will put the airline out of business. Which is better a pay cut or no job at all?

 

Maybe I'm just jealous because I don't have a union and my company already did away with raises and retirement.:( Oh well if I don't like it I can go somewhere else.:o

[rsinj]

Autumnrose - I can appreciate your position, however, the answer "if they don't like it let them leave" is old and worn out. That's exactly the point that things are at - if they do have an all out strike, it is the end of the airline. However, they do have jobs, and fighting for them to keep their current level of pay and benefits is worth their time. The major airlines are now posting hundreds of millions in profits for the past quarter - even with higher fuel prices. They are getting higher airfares and have record load factors. Is the $195 million in annual cuts NWA wants from the attendants going to make/break their reorganization plan to emerge from bankruptcy protection?

 

Again, the answer to the question isn't always "if you don't like it then leave". The airline has already admitted that without the attendants there is no more NWA - they can't replace them all - and the courts have said the attendants do have the right to an all out strike. So, in essence, the flight attendants currently control the future of the entire airline. I think NWA should acknowledge that and bargain with them affording them that power and putting an offer on the table that recognizing that the future of all the employees is in control of the flight attendants today.

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/bizwk/060821/pi20060818821043.html?.v=1

 

 

Howard

[Andipanda1]

The actual potential "strike" date is August 26th and it is limited to Northwest. Unfortunately, management and the new flight attendant's union are at an impasse. (actually the new union recommended to their membership the last offer of management, but the rank-and-file rejected it).

 

The tactic of the union is something called CHAOS and involves the RANDOM targeting of flights or airports.

 

Thus, this would not be a systemwide strike, but rather a targeted action which the union believes will exempt the flight attendants from being disciplined or fired. Unfortunately for the union and FA's there is no consistent legal precedent established.

 

Hopefully, both management and union membership will come to their respective senses and negotiate an agreement.

 

Thanks for the clarifications--my hub is flying out on NWA this week and we're crossing our fingers. :D

[Andipanda1]

Unfortunately, there are consequences - major consequences. The economies of Detroit and Minneapolis are heavily dependent upon Northwest and a liquidation would be distrous to the local economies.

 

As far as the flight attendants conducting an all out strike... Simply, that would mean the end of the airline, the FA's jobs and the jobs of every other employee.

 

In addition, it would LESSEN competition among the airlines. I know you are advocating a free market economy, but a free market economy thrives on competition.

 

Just my thoughts...

 

Yogi

 

I agree with you--it would kill my hometown. A lot of people would be out of work. And eventually, we would pay the price. :(

[phabric]

Please keep us posted. I am Canadian and we don't hear about your strikes. We fly out of Detroit to LA Sept 4 on NW. We took NW as it is the only airline that flies direct to LA.

[rsinj]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060822/northwest_flight_attendants.html?.v=1

 

 

Howard

[phabric]

Thanks for the information.