Demand CEO's Resignation Following Scheduling Fiasco, Bonuses

Last week, Northwest Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), called for the resignation of Northwest Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer Douglas Steenland (right). The union says Northwest currently faces severe staffing shortages, record flight cancellations, low employee morale and outraged customers -- the direct result of poor management by Steenland.

The decision to call for Steenland's resignation came late Thursday evening during a conference call of AFA-CWA leaders from Boston, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. The nine leaders voted unanimously.

As ANN reported, nearly one-third of Northwest's flights were cancelled during the last week in June, due to what the carrier termed a shortage of available pilots and other employees. Storms also delayed several flights, which in turn led to pilots "timing out."

The pilots' union contract limits them to 90 hours of flying a month, and federal law permits only 10 hours of overtime beyond that. Storms and other delays eat into that time.

Kevin Griffin, AFA-CWA President at Northwest, says the airline pigeonholed pilots and other workers, by blaming the carrier's own short-sightedness, and attempts to run the carrier too "lean," on them.

"Labor groups gave Mr. Steenland early and fair warning that his business plan was overreaching and destined to fail," said Griffin. "Instead of listening to his front-line employees, Steenland has blamed us and used an early summer storm as cover for his lack of leadership."

"Northwest flight attendants sacrificed 40 percent in pay, work rules and benefits cuts and are 20 percent more productive, all in an effort to ensure the survival of Northwest Airlines," Griffin added. "In return for our investment, Mr. Steenland pocketed a lucrative compensation package and has mismanaged our airline. It's insulting to flight attendants that he remains employed."

A poll of Northwest flight attendants, conducted by the Wilson Center for Public Research, revealed that 89% of respondents describe their view of NWA management as "mostly negative" or "very negative."

In a letter to the Northwest Airlines Corporation Board of Directors, Griffin stated, "It has been particularly demoralizing for our members, along with the other union employees, to shoulder the burden of saving Northwest while senior executives continue to use extremely poor judgment."

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