CHAOS Training Under Way To Prepare For Northwest Airlines Strike

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/3729

CHAOS Training Under Way To Prepare For Northwest Airlines Strike - 07/14/06

By Doug Cunningham

On Monday Northwest Airlines could throw out union contracts and impose its harsh concessions on its flight attendants if no agreement is reached with The Association of Flight Attendants – CWA. The union is threatening a strike if its contracts are tossed. It’s training Northwest flight attendants in the use of the strike tactic CHAOS –Creating Havoc Around Our System so they will be ready for action on Monday if need be. Union spokesperson Sara Nelson.

: “There’s no way for management can defend against it. There’s no way for them to have replacement workers ready, because there is no notice. CHAOS is a closely guarded secret and it only happens when we say it’s going to happen. Management doesn’t know, the public doesn’t know, the media doesn’t know. Only we know when it will happen. We certainly hope that this will help management come to terms with the fact that the best course of action for the airline and for all of the employees at Northwest airlines and the passengers is to reach a deal that flight attendants can accept.”

[davsand]

1. Sounds almost like monkey-wrenching.

I've wondered for a while now when we'd start to see it happen.

So much little stuff can go wrong all at one time in a big system. Electronic files have an ability to spontaneously just vanish into the ether leaving work orders undone and supplies un-ordered, and suddenly the work schedules just aren't there. Oddly enough, the files can be re-created and then the entire computer system can crash. We really ARE so dependent on those silly things...

I'm not saying it is right--but I understand.


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It would not surprise me at all that at some point in time we will see something like what I described above happen as a form of a General Strike. What makes it possible is our own dependence on technology and our own vulnerability to human error. If that ever did hapen I have no idea how they'd ever be able to control it short of shutting everything down

Regards!


Laura

[peacebuzzard]

2. Execs are scrambling to declare this illegal with their million dollar

lawyer briefs to the Judge in charge of the ruling. We are now sitting on edge......
Wish us luck.....
By the way, they have imposed the harshest of work rules on the rank and file flight attendants, and it truly is harsh....
Been so very tired and fatigued not to mention the 40% pay cuts.

[peacebuzzard]

3. still waiting with no word.

[davsand]

4. How are you all doing?

Just checking on you, peacebuzzard...

Is there anything we can do from our far-flung locations to help you or lend support?


Laura

[peacebuzzard]

5. Sorry for the long silence.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2006/09/18/daily35.html

and thanks for your concerns.

We are certainly going through some very unnerving times. Attrition rate high. Stress high. Extreme fatigue issues especially for reserves who commute in to base for on-call duties. Pay has been slashed. Duty hours are maxed.

Our union has now requested to be released from mediation and to commence a 30 day cooling off period prior to initiating self-help, or intermittent work stoppages. Decision date for that is the 26th September. So far, we have had two judges play hot potato with our issues. The Bankruptcy Judge from NY passed the matter on to Marrero (Clinton appointee) who gave a temp injunction favoring management. He then sent issue back to the bankruptcy court.

Meanwhile, the rest of the labor groups at NWA are getting outsourced ..... in total, since 9/11 there has been a loss of personnel (all union) of 25,000.
All downstations for the airline are going to outside vendors to perform same tasks previously employed by union people at a drastically reduced rate.
The bulk of the job loss has occurred this year after the bankruptcy (of convenience) filing.

What is unfortunate is that the company has refused to budge on negotiating a decent contract with the flight attendants and twice a proposed contract has been voted down by my labor group. But the real misfortune lies in the race to the exit door by many of my co-workers. Can not say I blame them as the pay cut was so drastic and so forth. The dynamics are changing every day and it is hard to say what our outcome will be.

I will post again soon.....