Northwest Air flight attendant strike!

[BllvAnn]

On the early news today there was a comment about the NWA flight attendants having postponed their strike until August 23rd. Anyone know anything more about this? I am flying NWA to Copenhagen on 09/01/06 to catch my cruise....YIKESSSSSS

[jhannah]

There's nothing I can see on the NWA website yet. But I would imagine they will bring in the help needed to maintain their schedules ... or at least most of the more "critical" routes for them.

[middle-aged mom]

Thanks for the heads up, BllvAnn. We have several family members travelling to Japan on Northwest the end of August for a nephew's wedding over there. Hope the strike issue is resolved before your departure (and theirs). NW Airlines has had labor relations problems for a long time now.

[AlohaPride]

That's why I fly Delta... :eek:




on second thought.....:confused:

[Grumpy1]

There's nothing I can see on the NWA website yet. But I would imagine they will bring in the help needed to maintain their schedules ... or at least most of the more "critical" routes for them.How well they can cope will depend on what other unions honor the picket line. If the pilots won't cross, there would be very few flights. Quite often the mechanics honor the flight attendants' line. The pilots don't honor the lines, but there are last minute maintenance issues on almost every flight. With all of the work being done by mechanics supervisors, and there isn't enough of them, then the flights start running into serious delays.

[dakrewser]

How well they can cope will depend on what other unions honor the picket line. If the pilots won't cross, there would be very few flights. Quite often the mechanics honor the flight attendants' line. The pilots don't honor the lines, but there are last minute maintenance issues on almost every flight. With all of the work being done by mechanics supervisors, and there isn't enough of them, then the flights start running into serious delays.


Well, the mechanics have been on strike for a year - and the planes are still flyin'! NWA hired replacements for them. So yes, they'll honor the flight attendants' picket lines but no, it shouldn't make a difference. :)

[middle-aged mom]

After toodling around on the internet, I have read that the strike is set for August 25th, and that a federal bankruptcy judge is slated to issue a ruling any moment now as to whether the flight attendants can strike in the first place. Northwest has been in bankruptcy proceedings for almost a year, and has won concessions from all its unions, with the exception of the mechanics and the flight attendants. So stay tuned to your favorite business news site.

[BllvAnn]

Thanks! I sure hope it comes to nothing as I do not want to miss this cruise!!

[Frogs]

You can monitor the Detroit news for more information. I work in the Detroit area and find that ClickonDetroit.com provides updated information as it is available. Since Detroit is a NWA hub they monitor the situation much better than the national news sources.

Blessings!

[aaerobear]

First of all, you need to chill out and read the newspapers correctly for a change. The "strike" you are all worried about is a "work action" called CHAOS, it is NOT a full fledged strike as they are known.

In CHAOS there are separate job actions on certain flights, not the entire airline. They are random and well planned. One can be reasonably certain that the actions will not be in places or cities where there is a big Northwest presence, as the company could replace crews very quickly.

Just thought I would let you know whats happenning

[middle-aged mom]

First of all, you need to chill out and read the newspapers correctly for a change. The "strike" you are all worried about is a "work action" called CHAOS, it is NOT a full fledged strike as they are known.

In CHAOS there are separate job actions on certain flights, not the entire airline. They are random and well planned. One can be reasonably certain that the actions will not be in places or cities where there is a big Northwest presence, as the company could replace crews very quickly.

Just thought I would let you know whats happenning

Hi Aaerobear:

Yes, I was aware of the type of "work action" that would take place when I posted, as I have visited the Northwest flight attendant's union website (http://www.nwaafa.org/). I didn't go into the details in my previous post because as far as the travelling public is concerned, the ensuing result is the same: uncertainty and lack of confidence by the public in Northwest Airlines and its management. The name of the "work action" says it all, CHAOS. And that's what the flight attendant union hopes will scare the passengers away.

As to the company replacing the crews "very quickly", may I ask with whom? With more members of the flight attendant's union, who are just as likely to refuse to fly? With "scab" replacements who will need to be trained in FAA procedures before they are allowed to fly? It's not likely that NW flight attendants will participate in the "work action" if they are located at a layover point far from NW's main hubs, with limited ability to find alternate transportation back home.

I was a flight attendant for Pan Am for seven years, and witnessed the demise of that company due to corporate mismanagement, poor labor relations, unstable fuel costs, and an uncertain economic environment. I'm seeing the same death throes in the Northwest scenario that I observed some twenty years ago at Pan Am.

My own daughter is scheduled to go to Japan at the end of August on NW, so I am monitoring the situation pretty closely, as you can imagine. I am chilled out:) , but I don't kid myself that this CHAOS "work action" is not going to be disruptive, because, if it actually takes place, it WILL be.

Just my two cents, for what it's worth.:)

[middle-aged mom]

Quick, somebody make a cruise-related comment here! Otherwise, I have a sneaking suspicion this thread may be moved to the "Cruise Air" board!:eek:

I hope everyone has a safe, uneventful journey to their cruises, where ever they may be going.:)

[Grumpy1]

Quick, somebody make a cruise-related comment here! Otherwise, I have a sneaking suspicion this thread may be moved to the "Cruise Air" board!:eek:

I hope everyone has a safe, uneventful journey to their cruises, where ever they may be going.:)Post #1 & #8 has it covered:D

[RuthC]

Quick, somebody make a cruise-related comment here! Otherwise, I have a sneaking suspicion this thread may be moved to the "Cruise Air" board!:eek:
I was researching KLM for a flight to Amsterdam to join the Prinsendam in '07. (cruise-related enough?)
That site linked me over to Northwest. Now I'm concerned that I should keep researching for another line.

[rjbean4]

AlohaPride,

You say you fly Delta. Remember Delta isn't in the best of shape either and filed for bankruptcy the same day NWA did. My mom keeps up with the latest by reading the paper and we get the Wall Street Journal. We have ties to NWA as my dad flew for 31 years and had to quit due to health reasons. When that happened he was flying 747's and was the head of the 747 Training Dept. From what my mom has been told and has read, actually Delta is in worse shape than NWA between the two. As others have said watch the news and read the paper. Oh yeah. my mom talked to my brother last night who lives in the Twin Cites area and said the flight attendant issue has been real quiet on the news up there the last few days. In reality all the airlines are having thier problems in one way or another. We just don't know about it. Have ties to a airline like we do and you hear a lot that takes a while to get out to the general public.

47 cruises on HAL at the age of 41
504 days at sea on 11 different DAM SHIPS
500 day gold medallion holder
9/06 trans canal - Westerdam
12/06 Christmas & New Years - Westerdam
If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[middle-aged mom]

I was researching KLM for a flight to Amsterdam to join the Prinsendam in '07. (cruise-related enough?)
That site linked me over to Northwest. Now I'm concerned that I should keep researching for another line.

Ruth, flying KLM should be fine. It is subsidized by the Netherlands government. Northwest and KLM have reciprocal frequent flier programs, but they are separate entities. And we don't know what will happen with the NW situation at this point. It'll probably keep limping along with all the other airline dinosaurs, for, as rjbean pointed out, it's not the only air carrier with problems. (It occurs to me, that in a way, declaring bankruptcy is a kind of federal subsidy.)

My observations are only my own, and I certainly don't have any "expert" credentials, only a little personal experience. I was just spouting off in my post this morning, because sometimes I get a little self-important and megalomaniacal. And there's nobody to stop me, until it's too late.:eek: :o

So, please, go ahead and book KLM for your cruise on Prinsendam next year. Now, that is one Happy Wanderer thread I really look forward to!

[rjbean4]

middle-aged mom,

Thanks for including me in your post. Most people wouldn't think of things realted to a airline unless they have ties to one. My dad flew but so did my mom. She was also a flight attendant and when she and my dad got married she retired as back in thos days both couldn't fly for NWA. We just have to wait and see what the judges decision is going to be but mom has said that it could be illegal if the FA's walk.

We also have a neighbor down the street that is a FA for NWA and flies out of Detroit. Flies internationally and has a ton of seniority. Mom made a comment to her once about what is going on and tried to mention to her that even though she wouldn't like having to take a pay cut that it would help keep the airline in business and also not be out of a job. Well, of course she didn't like it and had no comment. She is that type of person and we don't think that much of her. Everyone else at NWA has worked things out to keep the airline flying as much as they hated to take a pay cut. The mechanics are a smaller piece of the airline with less employees. They had replacements ready to go when they walked. But there are too many more FA's to be able to do that.

My brother's fiancee's 1st husband is a lead mechanic for NWA. When the mechanics walked last year he did too. But he found out that there was nothing out there that was a good as what he had and crossed the picket line and went back. There were a lot of others that did too. Since then he has had a job which is better than not having one at all and the mechanics issue has worked itself out. We flew to Vancouver on NWA late last summer to cruise Alaska on the Veendam for 2 weeks. We had a mechanical both going out and comming back. But both were taken care of in a reasonable amount of time and we still made it either to Vancouver or back here at home.

I can relate in a small way as I want to do something else and get out of my current job and I have a moody boss. But finding something that has the pay isn't easy. I have been in my current position for over 16 years. I'd rather keep what I have till I can find something else. I just don't say much at work even though I see alot that I know isn't right. There are a couple of days comming up where all the full timers where I work will be gone for a couple of days. If anyone else finds out about this heads could be rolling. Especially if others don't know about this or it wasn't approved by people higher up.

47 cruises on HAL at the age of 41
504 days at sea on 11 different DAM SHIPS
500 day gold medallion holder
9/06 trans canal - Westerdam
12/06 Christmas & New Years - Westerdam
If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[aaerobear]

Ruth,

It is almost impossible to book a KLM flight from the US, as, what happened to you, is exactly how it is supposed to work. All or most of the bookings from the USA are handled by NWA and all or most of the bookings from Europe are handled by KLM. If you are flying from BOS/DTW/MEM/MSP/DTW/SEA you flight (regardless of the flight number) will be operated by NWA, if other than those cities, ie: NYC/IAD/ATL/SFO/LAX the flight will be operated by KLM.

Be aware that KLM has few if any employees in the US anymore and that NWA handles ALL of the reservations from NorthAmerica, as KLM handles ALL of the reservations functions in europe.

As for the CHAOS actions I mentioned earlier, when I said it would be easy to replace the flight crew, I meant from reserves in that particular city if they have a Northwest base. I was NOT referring to scabs or replacement workers.

Having been a purser for Northwest for almost 40 years, I feel it will not come to CHAOS and that they will reutrn to the table soon.

[rjbean4]

aaerobear,

Hope you are right and that they will return to the table to work this out. My mom has been concerned that if the FA's walk this could be the end of the airline. The FA's should think about what would happen if they don't get this worked out. With all the cutbacks the airlines have made they wouldn't likely be able to go with someone else.

Wow, 40 years is a long time. My dad flew for 31 and probably would have made it to 40 and retire at 60 but he had a massive heart attack with brain damage at the age of 50. Lived for 6 years but was total care and passed away due to congestive heart failure.

47 cruises on HAL at the age of 41
504 days at sea on 11 different DAM SHIPS
500 day gold medallion holder
9/06 trans canal - Westerdam
12/06 Christmas & New Years - Westerdam
If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[aaerobear]

Although, we have different opinions on what the outcome would be, I do agree that NOW is not the time for it to happen. BUT, it will happen in the future.

Things have definately changed in the last few months and even more in the last few days.


Ed

[RuthC]

aaerobear, thanks for confirming what I thought I had found out, and for filling in some gaps in my knowledge.

Yes, I'll be flying Boston-Amsterdam-Boston for the cruise. It's next July, so there's plenty of time, but I do want to get started thinking about it.
What do you suggest?

[middle-aged mom]

Ruth,

It is almost impossible to book a KLM flight from the US, as, what happened to you, is exactly how it is supposed to work. All or most of the bookings from the USA are handled by NWA and all or most of the bookings from Europe are handled by KLM. If you are flying from BOS/DTW/MEM/MSP/DTW/SEA you flight (regardless of the flight number) will be operated by NWA, if other than those cities, ie: NYC/IAD/ATL/SFO/LAX the flight will be operated by KLM.

Be aware that KLM has few if any employees in the US anymore and that NWA handles ALL of the reservations from NorthAmerica, as KLM handles ALL of the reservations functions in europe.



There you go, Ruth, the "straight dope" from an inside source!:) Good luck to you, Aaerobear, I hope your flight attendant/purser career continues for another twenty years!:) I wish mine had lasted longer, but when Pan Am went under, that was it for me.

[aaerobear]

Ruth,

Go for it, thats a long way away and you can get some good fares booking this early. It will be just fine. The Boston crews are some of the best around, you will have a ball.

M.A.M.

I retired at the end of last year, 39+years, I am helping the new union get started so thats how I keep abreast of whats going on.

Ed

[RuthC]

Thanks, Ed.

[Grumpy1]

Many years ago, I was a member of the International Association of Machinists. There was a group of the mechanics that were agitating for a strike. I'll always remember the words of our business agent. He said that it is very easy to walk out, getting back in might be the hardest part. I've seen the wisdom of his words many times over the years.

I've also heard business agents encourage a strike even though the strikers would not likely ever make up the wages lost. "You aren't striking for yourself, you're striking for our future members!" BULL!

[aaerobear]

Grumpy,

You are absolutely right, nobody wins in a strike, but sometimes it has to be done.

Ed

I am now done preaching and gonna start packing for the next cruise. It isn't until the 13th of october, but what the heck.