Judge Blocks Northwest Employees' Strike

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060825/D8JNL93O0.html

Judge Blocks Northwest Employees' Strike
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Aug 25, 3:50 PM (ET)

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge blocked Northwest Airlines flight attendants from going on strike Friday, handing a victory to the airline just hours before a planned walkout that could have devastated the cash-strapped company.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said he will issue an injunction to allow time for him to examine the case. He said Northwest made a "persuasive case" that a delay in any strike was necessary so that the legal issues could be resolved.

He said that while the injury to flight attendants would be to delay their ability to strike, "far greater injuries exist to Northwest and the public by permitting the strike to commence at this point."


The Northwest Airlines DC10 that was escorted back to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, by two Dutch F-16 jet fighters stands on the tarmac at the airport on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006. The Northwest Airlines jet en-route to India returned to Amsterdam, after the crew reported some passengers were behaving suspiciously, authorities said. Several passengers on the flight NW0042 to Bombay were taken off the plane for questioning. (AP Photo/ Fred Ernst)


Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWACQ), already operating under bankruptcy protection, has said a strike could kill it.

[MichiganVote]

1. The end of labor as we know it......

[last1standing]

2. Labor's been dead for 25 years now.

That will be reagan's legacy: The man who killed Labor.

[Swede Atlanta]

3. Better liquidated

I used to work for the mess that is Northwest Airlines. The best thing for the employees, investors and the country would be if they would just liquidate and put everyone out of their misery. They have awful service, old airplanes, cranky employees, etc.

[Sgent]

5. Bring back the DC-9's

I would much rather fly in a DC-9 to a smaller location than an RJ. They may have been older, but they were nicer, have 1st class, and were completely owned by NW rather than having to pay a mortgage.

[flyarm]

6. S-80 ABOUT THE SAME THING...AS DC-9..N/T

[peacebuzzard]

7. I just worked 6 days and over 80 hours this week on a DC9

better than an rj to ride but Northwest deserves to be shut down the way they treat their employees.

The public only cares about cheap fares.

[cosmicdot]

4. fwiw, US District Judge Victor Marrero was a Clinton appointee

http://www.fjc.gov/public/home.nsf/hisj

[amandabeech]

8. I had no idea that this was happening!

I've been in the middle of the move from hell in Harrisburg back to D.C. and haven't noticed much outside my little hades from which I will escape tomorrow.

I'm flying out of Washington National to a dinky airport in Michigan to visit my elderly Mom and Uncle on Sunday until the day after Labor Day. The airport in Michigan is served only by Northworst (I've hated them since they were North Central) and Midwest. I'm using my frequent flyer miles.

Had I known about the strike, I would've hauled out the plastic and gone with Midwest. In my mind, the choice between a non-union carrier and crossing a picket line is the non-union carrier. But now, I think that I'm probably sunk. As are all the folks who work at Northworst.