'Somber' talks go on

Northwest mechanics examine airline's 'last, best offer'

BY JULIE FORSTER

Pioneer Press
August 19th


Working under an ominous deadline, negotiators for Northwest Airlines and its mechanics union tried to move closer to a deal Thursday in Washington, D.C., in the hopes of averting a strike.

Thursday night, the mechanics union said it received a "last, best offer" from the company and will review it before a last round of talks possibly today, ahead of an 11:01 p.m. strike deadline.

"The offer reflects Northwest Airlines' consistent, extreme position and leaves us with little hope of reaching a deal before tomorrow evening's strike deadline," Steve MacFarlane, the assistant national director of the union, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, said Thursday.

O.V. Delle-Femine, national director of the union, said Thursday evening that members of AMFA's negotiating team and an accountant were analyzing an "economic package" from Northwest.

He called the tone of negotiations "rather somber." The two sides expected to keep working today, he said, but he was uncertain whether they would start the day separately or face-to-face.

Kurt Ebenhoch, a Northwest spokesman, said the company expects to restart negotiations today.

"Our goal continues to be to reach a consensual agreement with AMFA, however, if we are unable to do that... we have a comprehensive contingency plan in place that will allow us to operate our full schedule," Ebenhoch said.

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TravelerJim