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Lloyd Carver pickets at Detroit Metro Airport. Four days into the strike, experts say the outlook for the union is increasingly bleak.Strikers' resolve firm even as prospects dim
Experts say union's outlook is increasingly bleak; airline's on-time performance improves.
Nasri Sarkis of Westland passes out fliers at Detroit Metro Airport. Morale among the picketers appears to be high.In the fourth day of a strike by mechanics, operations appeared to be running smoothly at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
• 56 percent of its flights by 6 p.m. Tuesday to its 12 most popular destinations left on time, up from 41 percent on Monday.
• Six of the 28 delays were over one hour, but longest was slightly less than two hours.
• Of the 63 flights, 35 left within 15 minutes of scheduled departure time.
• Six flights were canceled at Metro Airport, most the day before.
• Passengers can check their flight status at nwa.com or by or call (800) 441-1818
• No new bargaining scheduled.
Source: Detroit News research
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Northwest strike
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ROMULUS -- Their union has no strike fund to pay them, and their pickets didn't stop flight attendants and pilots from going to work as usual.
Instead of shutting down Northwest Airlines, the 4,430 striking mechanics and cleaners only managed to annoy their employer and adversary while replacement workers keep the airline flying.
Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association members say they're determined to break Northwest, but four days into the walkout, labor experts say the outlook for the union is increasingly bleak.
"They took their best shot," said John D Kasarda, professor of management at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. "Now that that shot did not knock Northwest airlines out, they are in a much weaker position."
Northwest passengers have seen more delays than normal since the strike began Saturday, but the airline improved its on-time performance Tuesday.
A check of its Web site -- nwa.com -- showed 56 percent of flights from Metro Airport to the carrier's 12 top destinations left on time, up from 41 percent Monday.
Six flights were canceled Tuesday, although the carrier said passengers were alerted Monday and rebooked. Northwest is completing more than 96 percent of its nearly 1,500 daily flights, said spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch. Friday, when he said mechanics were staging a prestrike slowdown, the completion rate was 91 percent. Ebenhoch said replacement mechanics now are catching up on repairs.
Although flights have been running smoothly, flight attendants have voiced concerns to their union about the mechanics.
"We're getting literally hundreds of calls about passengers frustrated with flight delays and taking it out on the flight attendants," said Bob Krabbe, assistant contract administrator for the Professional Flight Attendants Association. "We've asked the attendants to document each situation and forward onto our safety and health committee to investigate."
Flight attendants voted last week not to walk out in sympathy with the mechanics; Northwest had said it would fire those who failed to show up for work.
Outside the Northwest Terminal, picketers say they're prepared to keep up their fight even though every day off the job is a drain on their savings. Unlike some unions, the AMFA offers its members no strike pay or medical insurance.
Many workers said they've been putting money aside in anticipation of a walkout.
"We've seen this coming for years," said Cliff Waisanen, 41, a 17-year Northwest mechanic. "Everyone's got their own strike fund. We're prepared for the long term."
Dennis Sutton, vice president of AMFA Local 5 in Romulus, said he understands the financial reality workers face but believes they will stand firm. He expects some members will need to take part-time jobs to weather the strike.
He and other union officials said they know of no members crossing picket lines to return to work.
Dennis Hagan, a Northwest mechanic for 18 years, said morale remains high. He hasn't second-guessed the decision to strike.
"We're holding up good and Northwest is falling apart," Hagan said. "I pretty much know what was in the 'last and best offer' from Northwest. They never offered the mechanics any severance pay."
Northwest said that's not true. The airline contends its final proposal was reasonable, saving as many jobs as possible while generously compensating those who would be terminated. AMFA negotiators rejected the offer without a membership vote.
Here's what they passed up, according to Northwest:
• A mechanics wage rate of $27.17 an hour; the airline now has implemented a rate of $26.53.
• Job protection for 2,750 of the 3,420 mechanics (80 percent).
• Up to six months of severance pay, in a lump sum, along with medical and dental coverage for workers laid off within 90 days of the agreement. Northwest's new contract will offer up to 10 weeks of severance, with no insurance. Striking workers are not eligible for severance.
• A new 401(k) retirement plan with company contributions of 5 percent, allowing employees to collect all pension benefits accrued to date. Instead, Northwest will freeze contributions to the current pension plan without starting a new 401(k) plan.
• Profit-sharing that would provide employees a pro-rated share of 10 percent of the airline's gross earnings in excess of $1 million. Northwest has eliminated profit sharing.
When told some details of the proposal Tuesday, Hagan said he still wouldn't have gone for it.
"I'd rather stay here and fight them than take that severance package," he said. "The 26 weeks doesn't mean anything to me with 18 years invested in the company."
O.V. Delle-Femine, co-founder and national director of the AMFA, said there was no way he could have taken Northwest's last offer to the membership for a vote.
"The membership would have killed us," Delle-Femine said Tuesday. "At least 53 percent would have been laid off immediately. It would have been an insult to take it to them. Our membership has realized they have lost the jobs, so they want to fight them."
Delle-Femine expects Northwest to crumble within 10 days when maintenance backups cause customers to look to other airlines.
For the 800 cleaners on strike, the prospects of ever returning to work for Northwest appear dim. Northwest already has outsourced the cleaning operations, like every other airline in the industry.
Cleaner Brian Boroski said he'll hold out "as long as it takes for our mission to be accomplished." He canceled a four-week vacation abroad with his father to stay on the picket lines.
"I've dedicated my whole life to this company," said Boroski of Westland. "I just can't go away quietly. They're not going to throw us out like a piece of trash."
While striking mechanics walk the picket lines, their replacements board yellow school buses at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Dearborn for the commute to the airport.
In interviews this week, the replacement hires say they don't regret their move, despite being derided as "scabs" and "scum" by the strikers, who yell at them from sidewalks above the tarmac.
The Northwest jobs are a chance for better pay and, for many laid off from other airlines, a chance to return to the industry.
The airline, which spent $107 million to train the replacements, could still face bankruptcy even if it prevails over the union.
The New York Times contributed to this report. You can reach Nick Bunkley at (313) 222-2293 or nbunkley@detnews.com.
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