Striking mechanics walk away from talks

Monday, Sept. 12, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Striking mechanics at Northwest Airlines Corp. walked away from talks on Sunday, refusing to say if they would return to the bargaining table before a Tuesday deadline for when Northwest says it will start hiring permanent replacements.

Union officials said they had agreed to the airline's demand for wage concessions and layoffs, but could not agree on severance packages and work rules, so they abandoned efforts to negotiate a proposal that they could put to members for a vote.

The strike has become a fight of principle for many union members, so they won't bow to Northwest's threat to replace them, Steve MacFarlane, assistant national director of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, said Sunday.

"The thought of being replaced by a bunch of scabs is not a scary thing," he said.

Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said the National Mediation Board informed the airline that the union had "discontinued negotiations."

"We remain available and willing to return to the table," Ebenhoch said. He declined further comment.

AMFA negotiations spokesman Jeff Mathews said, "There's no negotiations scheduled at this time." He refused to elaborate.