Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is bracing for a possible strike by mechanics for Northwest Airlines. MAC (Metropolitan Airports Commission) police have been put on 12 hour shifts and NWA has hired a private security firm. The deadline for a deal and to authorize a strike is 12:01am ET. Negotiators were in Washington but no face to face meetings today although both sides had traded proposals this week.
Many mechanics believe this was probably their last day on the job. NWA is asking for $176million in concessions. Mechanics want credit for lost jobs in recent years. Some experts believe that NWA may declare bankruptcy. The White House has said it will not get involved in the negotiations although the White House does have the authority to intervene.
In related news mechanics for Mesabi Airlink are prohibited by a judge from honoring Northwest mechanics picket lines. Mesabi Airlink stated in a lawsuit in anticpation of a strike that their mechanics would be in breach of contract if they honored the picket lines. Mesabi flys some of Northwest's more remote routes.
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