"Just because we've imposed does not mean we're cutting off further discussions," Northwest spokesman Bill Mellon said. "Northwest remains available to negotiate with the AFA."
AFA interim president Mollie Reiley said the union also is willing to negotiate but that it is unclear whether talks will take place and what would be discussed.
Will the flight attendants resort to a strike?
"A strike or work action by AFA flight attendants would be illegal under the Railway Labor Act," Mellon said. "If AFA threatened any work action, NWA would take appropriate legal action in federal court." The airline has not yet requested the court to block a strike.
The federal Railway Labor Act permits a walkout only after mediation fails to resolve a dispute. The act, written in the 1920s, safeguards interstate travel by restricting workers' rights to disrupt it and covers the airline industry.
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