Mechanics Strike on Northwestern and are replaced by scabs....

[Tharmeni]

I know there's a lot of emotion around this topic and understandably so. I heard a report on a radio station that said ATA and United -- in separate actions -- have laid off more mechanics in INDIANA alone than Northwest has on the picket lines and many of those mechanics, with families to feed and finances hurting, are providing services to Northwest.
I think this is just a tragedy for everyone involved, frankly. No one is going to "win" this.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tharmeni

I know there's a lot of emotion around this topic and understandably so. I heard a report on a radio station that said ATA and United -- in separate actions -- have laid off more mechanics in INDIANA alone than Northwest has on the picket lines and many of those mechanics, with families to feed and finances hurting, are providing services to Northwest.
I think this is just a tragedy for everyone involved, frankly. No one is going to "win" this.

I think you are dead on here. This is the "musical chair factor" I mentioned earlier. Those so called scabs, were once on the receiving end of this kind of treatment from another airline. All they are really doing is what they think is best for their families. The guilt trip is just part of the game.

The 1900 don't have to be miracle workers. They just need to take care of the day to day stuff. The company wants to contract out the big stuff, kind of what the railroads do when they need locomotives rebuilt vs simply repaired.

The largest savings from not having the extra people on the payroll comes from the benefits the company doesn't have to pay, matching social security, health insurance, etc. The reduced wages aren't as large of a savings. It' kind of like, "let the employees be someone else's problem, we just want our planes fixed". That's the beauty of contract work.

I see you guys picked up on the comment about management not making any consessions. That's why they get the big bucks, for making the hard decisions.[sigh]

[Junctionfan]

Do you folk who have responded own a business large enough that would warrent a unionized workforce? I'm not sure how you can relate the struggles of a small business to a large company like that normally makes tons of money.

If some executive screwed up somewhere, it's not the workers' fault and they are still entitled to cover their costs just like the rest. It's not cheap to live in today's society.

It is the businesses fault why the cost of living is so darn high. Think about it. Companies sell at a certain price but if all the companies raise their price and raise it and raise it, folk can't afford it so they need more money so they fight for it come contract negotiations. Now the business go "whoa" and so they want to cover the extra expenses and raise their prices and raise it and raise itwhich of course get filtered and raised/refined somewhere else (ie retail). Now the workers can't afford anything again so they ask for more money........see the cycle.

Now if the businesses refuse to pay, folk won't be able to buy your product because they will either have to save money for the essential or they have gone bankrupt from loosing their job from a belly-up business that decided to close a plant to increase their quarterly report. Now the taxpayer gets the bill if you have welfare because now folk are making some kind of wage off of you instead of the private sector and so the government undertakes the same mentality and raises taxes. Those still with jobs now are in the position they have to find better paying jobs or fight for a better wage or spend less thus decrease sales and effecting the economy.....

So really, the whole capitalism thing doesn't really work that well if that is how you go about doing things-bankrupting yourself and everybody around you for greed. The present day version of capitalism is no longer self-sustaining and is begining to take its toll.

Remember when chocolate bars were a dime, now they are a buck. Buying a really nice house used to be $25,000 but now that same house is worth $450,000. What the heck happened?

[Big_Boy_4005]

Northwest and the mechanics will return to the bargaining table tomorrow, the 20th day of the strike. Due to rising fuel prices, it is expected that the company will offer the union even less than their previous offer, made prior to the strike. Reports are that the airline is currently losing 4 million dollars per day. They may begin hiring permanent replacements as early as next Tuesday.

It sounds like the union is up the creek. Not good.

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Union members need to become realistic about salaries. When the airline is profitable, wages should reflect good times for everyone. But when the airline is not profitable, wages should reflect the bad times as a group.....

Substitute airline for any company or corporation....

Frankly, I'm not surprised scabs were called in. Considering the immigration coming in from Mexico, whether legal or illegal, scabs is the easy ticket to break any union!

Time magazine had a poll recently asking whether the citizens of Mexico would consider a relocation to the United States. Sixty percent said yes. The next question is would they immigrate to the United States illegally. Eighty percent of the sixty said yes...

[Big_Boy_4005]

Don, I'm not sure we have to look south of the border to find the replacements. My guess is that most of them are displaced from other airlines, and US citizens.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Alliance (represents mechanics at Northwest and United, among others) has few friends within organized labor for a variety of reasons. The organization has an elitist attitude that says that the mechanics should have their own union apart from other members of the work force. This is primarily aimed at the IAM, which also represents various other ground workers such as baggage handlers, ground crews and others. They also expanded their membership by raiding the various IAM locals, which had previously represented the mechanics at Northwest and United. This may go a long way in explaining why the pilots and flight attendants did not honor the AMFA picket lines at Northwest.

That being said, the AMFA may be striking against Northwest for a lot of the right reasons but definitely the wrong time. If Northwest goes into Chapter 11, the situation for labor will only get worse.