Talks Resume Between Northwest, Mechanics

Northwest Airlines mechanics plan to go on strike Saturday if the company continues to press its plan to cut pay and jobs.

Negotiations between the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and the U.S. airline resumed Monday.

In a news release, the union said that Northwest has refused to give up its plans to eliminate more than half the union jobs, sending the work to outside contractors, and to cut pay by more than 25 percent.

A strike is only five days away now. For the sake of the flying public and the company we helped build, we hope Northwest will finally take the negotiating process seriously and stop proposing terms the airline knows have zero chance of being approved by our members, said AMFA national leader O.V. Delle-Femine.

Northwest has promised to maintain its flying schedule. But the airline said in its recent quarterly financial report that it could not guarantee a full schedule in the event of a strike.