www.newsandletters.org
|
|
NEWS & LETTERS, November-December 2005Northwest mechanics refuse to cave inMemphis, Tenn.--You don’t see as many on the Northwest Airlines mechanics picket line because strikers are getting other jobs. We’ve been out over two months (see Sept.-Oct. N&L). We didn’t have a choice to strike. Every time we’d meet the company’s demand, they asked for more. If we’d have kept going, we’d be paying them to work. Most mechanics that are now walking the picket line don’t want to go back anyway. I doubt I’d go back. The day we walked out, I felt a big pressure lifted off me. You’d walk in there and you’d just feel it in the air. But you come out here and walk with guys you’ve known for years and friends, and you get away from that mess. One person from maintenance control quit because he didn’t want to be around when something happens, like when a plane goes in the ground. I think it’s only a matter of time. The other day the scab mechanics had a write-up that was a no-go item. The mechanic wanted to change the write-up to an info-only, but the captain wouldn’t do it. That’s what we’re dealing with. I tell everybody not to fly Northwest. They’re supposed to cut quite a few jobs from flight attendants and pilots, but the IAM (International Association of Machinists) is burying its head in the sand. They represent the ticket counter people and bag handlers, they’re going to be gone--the station here in Memphis is supposed to become all part-time. The IAM thinks they’re going to get an 18% cut. It’s going to be a lot more than that. If everybody had gone together, we’d have all been back to work. That’s why we got out of the IAM, because they have no leadership. The old IAM was a good union. It’s nothing now. Ten years ago when we took a pay cut we had to buy NWA stock; I believe it was at $39 or so a share. For 10 years, they promised us we’d get it back at what we paid for it. Three days before we were supposed to get it back they found some loophole in the state of Delaware that says they don’t have to give it back to us. All they do is lie to us. Most people are tired of it. I’m sure with the Bush administration we’re going to lose any pensions, too. This isn’t just about unions, either. It’s about every blue-collar job in the country, whether you’re union or not. The government’s going after them. It’s the world economy that they want. --Striking mechanic |
|
Home l News & Letters Newspaper l Back issues l News and Letters Committees l Dialogues l Raya Dunayevskaya l Contact us l Search Published by News and Letters Committees |
