Northwest Airlines Flight Attendants Can Strike, says Judge

From the New York Times:

A federal bankruptcy judge ruled today that Northwest Airlines flight attendants have the right to strike, potentially paving the way for a crippling labor disruption at the nation’s fifth-largest airline.

If the flight attendants and the airline fail to reach an agreement on a reduced salary and benefits package by Aug. 25, the flight attendants would have the right to walk out, Judge Allan L. Gropper of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York ruled.

Northwest immediately said it would appeal. It said it has “a range of contingency options” in the event of a strike, and vowed to “take all necessary actions to continue to operate its normal flight schedule.”

The company’s chief executive, Doug Steenland, said the airline intended to continue talking with the flight attendants’ union. “Northwest’s continuing goal is to reach consensual agreements with all of its unions,” he said in a written statement.

The union, the Association of Flight Attendants, said the court ruling was a victory. “In upholding the right to strike, the court recognized that bankruptcy is not a free ride for rich executives. This levels the playing field,” the union’s general counsel, David Borer, said in a written statement.

The strike would be the second major labor action taken against the airline by one of its unions in a year. Last August, Northwest mechanics walked out after union leaders rejected wage and benefits cuts the airline was seeking in order to avoid bankruptcy.

We don’t need to tell you that a work stoppage on the part of flight attendants at Northwest could create major snarls and overload other airlines which are already experiencing unprecedented load factors. We’ll refer you back to the Frequent Flier Survival Manual’s work stoppage survival tips for more information.