Feb 6, 2006 6:37 pm US/Central
Expert: Pilots Probably Won't Be Able To Strike
by Esme Murphy
Minneapolis (WCCO) ―
This week, pilots at Northwest Airlines are set to vote on whether to authorize a strike. The last time pilots went on strike was 1998 and it brought the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport to a standstill.
The 1998 pilots' strike shut down NWA, grounding tens of thousands of travelers for 15 days.
Rajesh Aggarwal, a professor at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, believes the pilots will vote to strike, but that a strike won't actually happen.
He and some other experts believe the bankruptcy court will declare a strike illegal, with the judge likely to rule that because NWA is in bankruptcy, all union rulings will have to go through the judge.
The judge will then order pilots to stay on the job.
Another possibility is a work slowdown by pilots which could also create major delays and cancellations.
Traveler Chris Carlson did not know what to think about the situation, saying it was confusing.
"I've heard different things on the news, like they really are going to strike or this is a bargaining move," Carlson said.
It is that kind of confusion that leaves NWA with a public relations problem.
"People today are booking away from Northwest Airlines because they are afraid there will be a strike," said travel expert Terry Trippler.
The pilots' union did not return phone calls Sunday night. It is expected to take about two weeks for pilots to complete the voting.
If the vote is "yes", Northwest is expected to file for an immediate injunction to block the strike.
NWA issued a statement Sunday saying it is working hard to reach an agreement with the pilots.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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