U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero issued a written ruling finding that courts do have the power to stop strikes in situations similar to when he stopped the flight attendants from striking just hours before they were to do so in late August.
The nation's fifth-largest airline, Northwest has about 7,300 active flight attendants. The workers are angry the company imposed 21 percent pay cuts, which they say amount to 40 percent when health insurance increases are added in, as well as work rules they had rejected.The entire situation at Northwest Airlines is overly complex. Unions and management have never gotten along at the airline; the financial situation is growing better but the company still has a lot of debt; their situation with their regional feeder carrier, Mesaba, does not look so promising after a judge said the airline can not force unions to take a pay cut that sizable.
So that brings up the question, if Mesaba can not force their unions to take the pay cut, how can NWA, United, American, USAirways, and all those other airlines force their employees to take huge cuts? Is there a double standard or is it just that hard to interrupt the law?
This fight between the flight attedants and the management at NWA is definitely not over.
WCCO-TV
Press Release by NWA Flight Attendant Union
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