Flight Attendants Cleared to Strike at Northwest

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants may strike the fifth-biggest U.S. carrier, a move that could jeopardize its survival.

A strike by the airline’s 9,300 flight attendants may put 34,000 jobs at risk and force the company to liquidate, Northwest has said. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Allan Gropper in New York denied the airline’s request to block a strike, Northwest and the union said.

Northwest said it would appeal.

The flight attendants planned sporadic work stoppages, which are set to start Aug. 25 after the court authorized the airline to impose pay and benefit cuts. Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest made the cuts July 31 as part of an effort to reduce annual labor expenses by $1.4 billion to exit bankruptcy protection. Flight attendants would absorb $195 million of the cuts.

“Now, Northwest management has one more chance,” said Mollie Reiley of the Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA. “They have the choice to either set greed aside for once and agree to a fair and equitable contract, or they will face CHAOS.”

CHAOS, or “create havoc around our system,” is the union’s term for a strategy of periodic work stoppages. The stoppages may target specific flights and last for as little as 20 minutes, the union has said. The union previously implemented the strategy in 1993 during contract talks with Alaska Air Group Inc.’s Alaska Airlines.

Northwest Chief Executive Doug Steenland said, “While we are disappointed with Judge Gropper’s ruling and will appeal it, we remain committed to continuing to serve our customers professionally and transporting them to their destinations safely and reliably.”