Orderly picketing, few flight delays

08/21/2005

Terry Fiedler and Greg Gordon,
Star Tribune
August 21, 2005

Northwest Airlines experienced little turbulence the day after its mechanics walked out, claiming relatively few cancellations and delays on a day that saw no confrontations between striking employees and the 1,200 workers hired to do their jobs.

The first day of the first major airline strike since 1998 ended with no other Northwest unions observing the picket lines set up by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA). No further talks between Northwest and the 4,400-member union are scheduled, but the company said any mechanics who return to work during the strike will be paid almost $10 an hour less.

From his corner office at Northwest headquarters in Eagan, CEO Doug Steenland watched a steady stream of red-tailed Northwest planes depart Saturday morning.

“Our operation is running smoothly, our employees are hard at work and we are meeting the needs of our customers as we operate our full flight schedule,” he told the Star Tribune.

Hal Myers, a spokesman for the Northwest chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, said the union “received very few calls due to particular maintenance problems.” Delays and cancellations seemed to be well within normal bounds, he added.

AMFA’s members include about 3,100 mechanics, aircraft cleaners and building custodians who work for Northwest in the Twin Cities. Steve MacFarlane, AMFA’s assistant national director, agreed that things went relatively smoothly Saturday, but he said that had more to do with the company’s reduced flight schedule than the efforts of replacement mechanics and other moves by the airline.

At a picket station outside the Duluth terminal, striker Mike Bowman said the mechanics aren’t surprised at the lack of delays because he and his fellow strikers had kept the planes in great shape. He said the delays will come within a few days, after planes begin to have maintenance problems and breakdowns that replacement workers can’t fix as quickly or as well.

“We can’t shut the airline down as quickly as the pilots can,” he said. “It will take a little time.”

Northwest moved up its reduced fall flight schedule by about a week and is offering 17 percent fewer seats than during the peak summer season.

MacFarlane claimed that the company made even deeper flight reductions to ensure that things would appear normal.

“They ran 400 fewer flights [Saturday] than Friday,” he said. “With all of those airplanes on the ground, no wonder things are quiet.”

AMFA had “no talks scheduled with the company, and we anticipate none at this point,” he said.

Saturday is one of the lightest travel days of the week, and that worked to Northwest’s advantage. At 9:30 a.m., the Lindbergh terminal’s short-term parking lot was only half full and ticket lines were generally only a person or two deep.

Late Saturday afternoon, Michael Conway, spokesman for Detroit Metro Airport, said the first day of the strike brought no problems. Passenger traffic was light early in the day, but flight operations at the airport dominated by Northwest were relatively smooth, he said.

“It’s been a real quiet day,” Conway said. “And the picketers are all behaving themselves.”

Four tires blew out on a Northwest Airlines jet as it landed in Detroit on Saturday. A second Northwest jet made an emergency landing there a few hours later after flight attendants reported smoke in the cabin.

No injuries were reported in either incident, and the company told the Associated Press that neither incident was strike-related.

Some mixups

Saturday travelers moved quickly through the picket line of AMFA members who handed out leaflets at every entrance of the ticketing level at the Lindbergh terminal.

Some passengers reported mixups, and others expressed concern about safety