Six Days Left To Reach A Deal

On the heels of last week's vote by flight attendants at Northwest Airlines to oust the Professional Flight Attendants Association (PFAA) as their union, and replace it with the Association of Flight Attendants, negotiators are planning to return to the bargaining table Wednesday in one last attempt to reach a deal with NWA management over a pay contract.

Talks with the flight attendants have been underway for months... with nothing close to an agreement. As Aero-News reported, the most recent deal -- negotiated by the PFAA -- was soundly rejected last month by more than 80 percent of those voting.

Negotiators with the new union have precious little time to reach a deal... as they are working against a deadline of July 17, set by Judge Allan Gropper, after which time Northwest can impose a new contract on the flight attendants the airline says it needs in order to secure the balance of the $1.4 billion in annual savings the bankrupt carrier says it needs to survive.

After reaching deals with its pilots, ground workers and other personnel, only the flight attendants remain without a contract.

Should Northwest impose a new contract, it is unclear what the next step for the flight attendants would be. The PFAA had threatened to strike the carrier if any contract was imposed... a route the AFA is likely to take, as well, although the union has issued no formal statement on the matter.

FMI: www.nwa.com, www.afanet.org/