Under the Gun, Northwest Flight Attendants Ratify Pact

Pressured by the threat of losing their bankruptcy claim, AFA-CWA flight attendants at Northwest Airlines ratified a concessionary contract at the carrier this week by a 51 percent vote.

"By no means is this concessionary agreement acceptable to our members," said President Jay Hong of the AFA-CWA master executive council at Northwest.  "But considering the difficulties we've encountered with the National Mediation Board, the White House, the courts, and the impossible negotiations postures of Northwest Airlines, the majority of our members have said that this agreement represents the best we could do under the anti-worker conditions we found ourselves negotiating in. We will continue to rebuild and fight for a better contract in the future."

Northwest is scheduled to emerge from bankruptcy protection on May 31. The agreement calls for cuts in pay, benefits and working conditions of about 40 percent for the 8,100 flight attendants, along with a required 20 percent increase in productivity. By approving the contract, AFA-CWA members retained their right to file a $182 million bankruptcy claim against Northwest.  A federal judge ruled last month that flight attendants' right to make that claim would be void unless a new contract was ratified.

AFA-CWA continues to attack excessive executive compensation – particularly the $26.6 million package awarded to CEO Doug Steenland – as unjustified and unfair in a time of drastic cuts to employee wages and benefits.

On May 30, AFA-CWA President Pat Friend and Northwest flight attendants, joined by pilots and other airline workers, rallied outside the Minnesota State Capitol to protest excessive executive compensation and the growing pay disparity between company executives and employees.

 "Across America, families are working more, going home with less in their pockets and  paying out more while mediocre executives are rewarded for running companies into bankruptcy," said NWA MEC Vice President Andy Wisbacher, "But make no mistake; we may be fatigued, stressed and disillusioned, but we are the majority and will win this fight against injustice in the workplace."