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Passengers Advised to Plan Ahead; Northwest Likely to Keep Flying If Mechanics Go on Strike, but Experts Say to Expect Bumps

Posted on: Friday, 19 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

Passengers on upcoming Northwest Airlines flights might consider the old tip from the Boy Scouts and be prepared.

With a strike by Northwest mechanics looming, that advice is especially important for travelers flying through Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport, where Northwest is the second- busiest airline.

A strike by 4,500 Northwest employees, including mechanics and ground crew workers, could begin Saturday if a new labor agreement isn't reached. Any labor action would include 43 of Northwest's 168 employees in Milwaukee.

There's still a possibility that Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest could reach an agreement with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.

But the two sides were far apart Thursday. Northwest rejected the union's latest offer, saying proposed concessions fell far short of what the company needs to survive.

The union received a "last, best offer" from the company Thursday and will review it before a last round of talks ahead of today's midnight strike deadline, Bloomberg News reported.

"Northwest has guaranteed a strike because their proposal is so extreme," said the union's assistant national director, Steve MacFarlane, according to Reuters News. Besides deep salary cuts, Northwest wants to reduce its mechanics union workforce by just over 50%.

Don't panic

Still, Northwest travelers shouldn't panic, said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, a Radnor, Pa.-based group.

Even if Northwest's mechanics are walking picket lines, Mitchell said, the company has been preparing for that possibility for 18 months.

That's allowed Northwest ample time to develop contingency plans, he said, including shifting more work to outside contractors, hiring replacement mechanics and retraining non-union supervisors to handle the workload.

Terry Trippler, an aviation expert at cheapseats.com, agreed that Northwest is prepared to handle a strike.

Trippler said the fact that the walkout would begin on a weekend, when travel loads are lighter, will help the airline cope with any initial disruptions. He believes any possible problems would be largely ironed out within a week.

Northwest executives have said they expect to fly a full schedule without major disruptions. The union says that is a promise the company cannot keep.

In either event, Northwest travelers can take a few steps to prepare for possible disruptions, Mitchell said.

Alert customers

Business travelers should let their customers know that they're flying on Northwest, and that they might be delayed, Mitchell said. That allows greater flexibility in case something happens, he said.

Also, if a business traveler is flying on a relatively short trip, he or she might want to reserve a rental car at the other end, Mitchell said. That allows the option of returning by car in case delays become insurmountable.

Northwest has been increasing its Milwaukee service since 2003 and offers 38 flights daily to 13 non-stop destinations.

Copyright 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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