ALPA: That's "Extreme"

Northwest Airlines wants more out of its pilots -- a total of $358 million in annual concessions. That's a request pilots call "extreme."

That would mean a pilot paycut of about 30-percent. Beyond that, NWA wants to reduce the number of flight crew members by 1,290 on top of the 400 that will be laid off outright over the next eight months.

"In our domestic fleet, [the proposal] would put us below all of our legacy peers, in or out of bankruptcy, and below regional carriers such as Comair," Capt. Mark McClain, chairman of Northwest's ALPA unit told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "For what's proposed for people in our domestic fleet, some could make more money driving a truck, and that's not union rhetoric. That's the truth."

It's the second time Northwest has gone to the well with pilots. Back in December, ALPA-affiliated NWA pilots gave back $265 million in concessions, taking a 15-percent pay cut in the process.

Pilots aren't the only ones targeted for cost reductions at Northwest. The airline also wants $190 million back from its flight attendants and about the same from its ground force.

Northwest filed for bankruptcy in September, on the same day as competitor Delta did so. The latest request comes as another troubled carrier -- US Airways -- emerged from bankruptcy protection, arm-in-arm with new partner America West.

FMI: www.nwa.com