Northwest Pilots Accept Pay Cuts

Pilots at Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest Airlines Wednesday voted to ratify a new 5 1/2 year salary-cutting contract.

The pact, approved by a 63 percent margin, preserves pilot jobs while cutting pilot costs by $358 million, the Air Line Pilots Association said.

The agreement retains the current 23.9 percent pay cut NWA pilots agreed to in November 2005 and provides pilots with significant protections against the outsourcing of mainline flying to small jets. NWA pilots successfully retained all flying of 77-seat and higher aircraft while limiting the number of small jets to 55 or 90, if placed at an affiliate.

In addition, NWA pilots receive an $888 million unsecured claim in NWA and participate in profit sharing once the company emerges from bankruptcy.

The agreement is a painful but necessary part of a successful restructuring of Northwest Airlines, NWA Master Executive Council Chairman Capt. Mark McClain said. Now is the time for Northwest pilots to unite and begin looking forward to our company’s successful emergence from bankruptcy.