The union representing flight attendants at Northwest Airlines said yesterday that it would agree to temporary concessions worth about $117 million to the bankrupt airline in exchange for more time to negotiate a contract.þþThe proposal, posted on the union's Web site, would allow Northwest to achieve about 60 percent of the $195 million in average annual savings the carrier says it needs from the flight attendants.þþA Northwest spokeswoman declined to say whether the carrier would accept the proposal.þþIn exchange for the temporary concessions, the Professional Flight Attendants Association hopes to win more time to bargain with the carrier on a permanent contract. þþNorthwest has asked for court permission to void labor contracts of groups that do not yield required savings. þþA hearing on the airline's motion is scheduled for Nov. 16.þþThe airline said yesterday that it was in talks with its pilots', flight attendants' and ground workers' unions on the possibility of extending the deadline for a hearing. The airline said that if it could get temporary savings worth 60 percent of the total $1.4 billion savings goal, then it could delay a hearing on its request until mid-January.þþDelta Air Lines, which filed for bankruptcy protection the same day as Northwest, is asking a federal court in Manhattan to throw out its contract with pilots. þþDelta said the move was needed to force the 6,000 pilots, its only unionized employees, to accept salary and benefit cuts that would reduce the airline's annual costs by $325 million. þþThe airline filed its request with the court on Tuesday.þþOfficials from Delta's local unit of the Air Line Pilots Association were not immediately available for comment.þþThe moves would be additional blows to airline employees, many of whom have had to lower their standards of living as airlines squeezed their contracts, citing pressure from soaring fuel costs and competition from low-cost carriers. þþThe hearing is also scheduled for Nov. 16.þþDelta last month won court approval - over objections from the pilots' union - to stop funding its pilots' pension plans. þþ
Source: NY Times
