Flight Attendants Seek New Union at Northwest

A group of Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants will begin a campaign today to replace the Teamsters union with a new, independent union.

The Professional Flight Attendants Assn. would be headquartered in Minneapolis and be made up of Northwest flight attendants, said PFAA spokesman Gary Helton.

In order for the PFAA to replace the Teamsters, 50% plus one additional flight attendant must sign and submit an authorization card requesting a union change. The National Mediation Board would then call for an election.

Northwest, the world’s fourth-largest carrier, has 11,000 flight attendants.