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Joined: 17 Jun 2005
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Mechanics, NWA Offered Arbitration
Associated Press

July 17, 2005 (AP) -- Federal mediators on Thursday offered Northwest Airlines and its mechanics binding arbitration to settle their stalled contract talks. But it's an offer that likely will be rejected, setting up a 30-day countdown to a possible strike or lockout.

Both Northwest and the mechanics union had asked the National Mediation Board to declare their talks deadlocked, a ruling that would free the mechanics to strike and Northwest to lock them out.

"The offer of arbitration is typically a signal that the board believes there is an impasse," said John Remington, a professor of industrial relations at the University of Minnesota. "It's a perfunctory step. Arbitration usually doesn't get any takers."

Yet the union might agree to arbitration to try to claim the "high ground," said Remington, adding he doesn't see Northwest letting an arbitrator settle the mechanics contract.

Thursday afternoon, Northwest said it was "considering our options." Likewise, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association told its members that it was reviewing the arbitration offer.

There's no deadline for the parties to accept or reject arbitration, said Stephen Olson, a partner with Pittsburgh law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart.

.....Read the rest at: http://www.amtonline.com/artic....jsp?siteSection=1&id=1698

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

To me it looks like the mechanics aren't willing to give up anything else and the management wants to get rid of them (the mechanics) so there is no point going any further. This won't be pretty.

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

Nothing that says those mechanics can't be ATA'd. That's outsourcing, for those who didn't see the massive layoffs at TZ. Apparently, the NW mechs didn't see the articles either...