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Saturday, Sep. 12, 1998
Northwest planes could fly by next week if agreement is approved
Pilots union executive board to meet today to consider airline's proposal
By KAREN MILLS
Associated PressMINNEAPOLIS -- Some Northwest Airlines planes could be back in the air by the middle of next week if leaders of the striking pilots union approve a tentative contract agreement today.
With the White House and federal mediators twisting arms, Northwest Airlines and its striking pilots broke a nearly two-week stalemate and announced a potential settlement.
The tentative deal was announced Thursday, the 13th day of the walkout. But the airline will remain grounded at least until the Air Line Pilots Association's 17-member executive board meets today to consider the plan.
The board may either vote on the proposal or submit it to a full membership vote by the 6,100 pilots. No details were released, but a source familiar with the talks reported the outline of a four-year deal.
Pilots would receive a 12 percent salary increase over the life of the contract, the source said. Pilots had sought 14 percent over three years, with Northwest offering 9 percent over four years.
Northwest would eliminate a lower pay scale for new hires by the end of the contract, one of the most important issues for pilots, the source said. The pilots also won some increased assurance of job security.
``There's some relief that something may be ending soon,'' said Craig Wolfson, a local strike committee chairman. ``But it ain't over 'til it's over.''
Nevertheless, the company told mechanics to stop preparing planes for storage and began calling back laid-off ground workers.
Air Canada and its pilots also reached a tentative agreement Thursday to end a nine-day strike. Ratification of the agreement by the 2,100 Air Canada pilots is expected to take about three days. Canada's largest carrier said its 500 daily flights are expected to resume next Wednesday or Thursday.
Northwest spokeswoman Marta Laughlin said it would take 10 to 12 days to bring the airline back to full service. Northwest has canceled all domestic flights through Sunday and Asian and European flights through Monday.
The pilots, who went on strike Aug. 28, had been negotiating for a new contract for two years.
The average annual pay for Northwest pilots under the current contract is about $133,000, according to the airline; the union put the figure at $120,000.
The airline still faces open contracts with five other unions. The International Association of Machinists has asked the National Mediation Board to declare talks at an impasse so a 30-day strike countdown can begin.
``I think it's good that they settled, but it could be bad for our contract,'' said mechanic Dave Condon. ``Northwest could say now that they've spent all this money and don't have any left for us.''
President Clinton announced the tentative settlement at the White House. The deal was worked out during 56 hours of talks this week with the help of deputy White House counsel Bruce Lindsey and Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater.
The Clinton administration had resisted ordering the pilots back to work, but Slater said the parties were told the president couldn't wait much longer.
``But we also said, `You guys can get this done,' '' Slater said.
The breakthrough came during overnight negotiations as federal mediator Maggie Jacobsen kept discussions going until 4 a.m. Thursday.
Northwest, which is headquartered in nearby Eagan, has canceled more than 27,000 flights. The airline has estimated its losses at $26 million per day for a total of at least $338 million.Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web