St. Paul, Minn. – Northwest Airlines, flying while in bankruptcy, wants to position itself to outsource all flight-attendant jobs on international flights, as well as all attendant jobs on planes with 100 or fewer seats.
That’s the word from the flight attendants union, which Northwest is leaning on for $195 million in annual wage and other givebacks.
Northwest’s outsourcing proposal could eliminate the jobs of thousands of the carrier’s 9,800 flight attendants, said Bob Krabbe, assistant contract administrator for the Professional Flight Attendants Association.
Many jobs could go overseas to lower-paid foreigners.
“We’ll fight this vigorously,” he said.
Northwest would not discuss the union’s account of the airline’s plans, saying it does not comment on contract negotiations.
