ROMULUS, Mich., Aug. 29 - The national director of the mechanics' union at Northwest Airlines came here Monday to rally his striking troops, amid signs of discontent among picketers and no end in sight to a 10-day walkout.þþThe unannounced visit by O. V. Delle-Femine, who heads the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, was part of a morale-boosting trip he is making to airports across the country this week. He noted that he was not flying Northwest during the trip. þþHe insisted that workers' spirits remained high, even though no talks with the airline had been held since the walkout began on Aug. 20. ÿThe guys are here for the long haul,ÿ Mr. Delle-Femine said, a picket sign in his hand.þþAbout 4,430 mechanics and other employees represented by the union struck Northwest over the airline's demand for $176 million in wage and benefit cuts and the elimination of 2,000 jobs. þþNorthwest, which is based in Eagan, Minn., has kept operating with 1,900 substitutes, including temporary replacement workers, supervisors and contractors. Other airline employees, including pilots, flight attendants and baggage handlers, are not honoring the picket lines. þþEven as Mr. Delle-Femine shook hands and talked to workers, there were signs that some felt that the union had rushed its members into the strike. þþÿI think we played right into their hands on everything because they wanted us to strike,ÿ said Chris Hershey, an airplane cleaner who has worked for Northwest for 14 years. ÿI think we could have waited.ÿþþAlthough the 40-year-old union prides itself on encouraging input from its members, AMFA leaders decided not to take Northwest's last offer to members for a vote. Mr. Delle-Femine has defended that decision, pointing out that workers voted 93 percent in favor of a strike in July, and calling the airline's final offer ÿunworthyÿ of their consideration.þþBut workers walking picket lines here and at other airports around the country are not receiving strike pay, and their health care coverage from the airline runs out on Thursday. Some are looking for new jobs, unable to get by without a paycheck.þþSo Mr. Delle-Femine's visibility is critical to keeping his workers motivated, said Gary N. Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. ÿHe's got to establish himself as a charismatic leader, and he's got to do it quickly,ÿ Professor Chaison said. ÿThis is a desperate situation.ÿþþAMFA, which is not a member of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., is feeling increasing hostility from other unions. In Detroit on Saturday, the mechanics' union was forced to find a new location for a fund-raising dinner after a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers withdrew its invitation to let the AMFA use its union hall. þþAMFA officials contended that the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers pressured the electricians' union into rescinding the invitation. The mechanics voted in 1998 to leave the machinists' union and join the AMFA instead. þþBut officials at the electricians' union, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the machinists union said Monday that they were not aware of the dispute. þþMr. Delle-Femine said he was not letting the lack of support from other unions bother him. ÿThat's normal,ÿ he said. ÿThey're going to see that we're strong and we're going to hang in there.ÿþþFor some, Mr. Delle-Femine's visit had the intended effect. ÿIt just makes you feel good when he's around,ÿ said Jackie Ward, an airplane cleaner with 18 years at Northwest, who snapped pictures of Mr. Delle-Femine as he spoke with a group of striking workers.þþAlthough no talks are scheduled with the mechanics, Northwest is set to resume discussions Tuesday with the Professional Flight Attendants Association. It is also holding negotiations with the machinists' union, which includes baggage handlers, customer service agents, reservations clerks and some ground crew workers. The National Mediation Board is overseeing both sets of talks.þþNorthwest is seeking $1.1 billion in cuts from all its unions, saying it could be forced to seek bankruptcy protection without them. But it has received only $300 million in concessions thus far from its pilots and salaried workers.þþLeaders of the Air Line Pilots Association are set to meet Wednesday and Thursday in Minneapolis to discuss the airline's bid for a second round of cuts worth $322 million. þþUnder an agreement reached last year, Northwest cannot come back to pilots for more cuts until 30 days after all its other unions have agreed to their first round of cuts, or until next July.þþWill Holman, a spokesman for the pilots' union, said Monday that concessions could be granted sooner if the company was in danger of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. But Northwest has not notified the union that a bankruptcy filing is imminent, he said.þþPilots' union officials told members this weekend that the airline wants to cut pilot pay by 22.3 percent, on top of a 15 percent pay cut granted last year. The figures were first reported by The Minneapolis Star Tribune.þþ
Source: NY Times
