Labour Ticker - Northwest Airlines

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September 21, 2007

Northwest Airlines said it will soon embark on its "largest training initiative in over a decade" to help employees improve customer service after years of cost-cutting. The airline said that after 20 months of restructuring under Chapter 11 it now has a "competitive cost structure," but that it is merely "the opening ante" of what's needed to succeed. The carrier stated that "customer focus is going to continue to define the winners" and committed to "a laser-like focus on customers in order to meet their needs", adding that besides a modern fleet and a broad route network, the airline must offer customers "dedicated and committed employees with pride in the airline for which they work". Northwest said it is about to launch an interdisciplinary training program for flight attendants, airport employees and reservation agents "that makes sure that they see the travel experience through the eyes of our customer". In addition, the airline will reinstitute a "captain leadership program" for pilots to help them communicate more effectively with customers and fellow employees. The airline confessed that "when we were going through survival mode, that was a program that hit the cutting-room floor. In hindsight, that was probably a mistake". ALPA stated that "one of the pieces of the customer service puzzle is meeting the needs of your employees, and they, in turn, will meet the needs of customers", adding that the pilot leadership program is "a good step" in that direction. AFA said that the airline has provided little detail on the training initiative, adding that its "position about that is that considering the level of employee morale, [we] don't know that it would be the best place to focus efforts. They need to give some sort of relief to employees before we give back to customers". The airline said that it continues to talk with its labour unions about finding "cost-neutral" approaches to improve the contracts that were negotiated in Chapter 11.

US Airways pilots staged a sick-out, forcing the airline to cancel about 30 flights. The airline reported that about 110 pilots stayed off the job after reporting that they were ill, an increase from 15 to 20 on a normal day. ALPA's US Airways East chapter urged its members not to take part in a work slowdown. The union advised pilots to "not participate in any sick out or other job action". It added that neither the national nor the airline chapter "supports, condones or is participating in a sick out or other job action. Such actions may be unlawful and may expose you to discipline up to and including termination". However, last week ALPA East leadership voted to limit flying in November to the