"Mechanics Won't Vote on Northwest Offer"

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Mechanics Won't Vote on Northwest Offer
By AMY FORLITI
The Associated Press


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The mechanics union for Northwest Airlines Corp. said
Thursday that it will not vote on the carrier's latest offer, saying the
company inserted last-minute language that violates the union's
constitution.

In an update posted on the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Web
site, the union said the language added by Northwest was not addressed at a
recent meeting between the two parties.

The update by AMFA Region II Director Jim Young claims that when the union
told Northwest the added language violated the union's constitution, the
airline said it was unable to agree to modify the language.

"As a result, AMFA will remain on strike,'' Young wrote.

In a letter to Young dated Thursday, Northwest's vice president for labor
relations, Julie Hagen Showers, said the airline was unclear about AMFA's
position.

Hagen Showers wrote that "Northwest proposed a broad 'no retribution'
clause, intended to ensure that the emotions of the strike do not cause
distractions, hostilities or disruptions in the workplace following the end
of the strike ... Northwest is disappointed that AMFA would contemplate
continuing post-strike hostilities.''

A Northwest spokesman said the airline would not comment beyond the letter.

After meetings between the two sides last week, AMFA said it would allow its
members to vote on the company's latest offer, which might preserve only 500
of the 4,100 jobs that AMFA members held when they went on strike Aug. 20.

But after the meeting, the proposal contained "a little bit of extra added
information ... that totally violated any kind of potential ability for us
to bring it back to membership. So we can't. And we won't,'' said AMFA
strike coordinator Mike Bauer.

On its Web site, AMFA said the added language "would have taken away the
union's legal right to address internal disputes that are outside the
jurisdiction of Northwest Airlines.''

Northwest said if AMFA does not confirm by noon on Friday that it has
distributed the latest offer for a membership vote, the airline will resume
hiring permanent replacement workers.


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