FAA report confirms concerns of striking airline mechanics

It’s a miracle there hasn’t been an accident since the trained mechanics who service Northwest Airlines planes went on strike on Aug. 19 to defend their jobs.

The most recent batch of Federal Aviation Association reports confirm what the machinists, represented by AMFA Local 33, predicted. There are “training deficiencies among the replacement workers, thin staffing, maintenance blunders and mistakes in recording aircraft repairs.” All these things jeopardize passenger and crew safety.

Eleven FAA reports, filed from Aug. 20 to Sept. 12, detail various violations. For instance, a Sept. 3 report reads: “Aircraft in for an ‘A’ inspection. Stabilizer trim check failed. Stabilizer brake failed; no parts in stock; the mechanic working the stabilizer trim problem had only two weeks of 757 experience.”

Another Sept. 3 report reads: “Captain’s side windshield anti-ice system inoperable and maintenance had been deferred. Windshield was approximately 65-70 percent covered with fog, rendering it very difficult to see during taxi—clearly a safety hazard.”

According to AMFA Local 33 President Ted Ludwig, Northwest has not been filing required electronic maintenance reports “in order to hide its inability to perform aircraft maintenance in full compliance with regulations.”

“It’s time for NWA to stop cutting corners on maintenance and passenger safety,” reads a statement posted Oct. 9 on the union’s website. “They need to negotiate a fair contract to get our people back in there ASAP to fix these problems and restore the public’s faith in NWA safety.” AMFA’s motto is: “Safety in the air begins with quality maintenance on the ground.”

Broad solidarity grows

Unions and labor councils all over the country are lining up to show solidarity with the AMFA strikers. Besides passing resolutions supporting the strikers, some unions are contributing to the strike fund. For instance, the United Auto Workers recently donated $880,000. Individual checks were mailed to each of the 4,500 strikers on Oct. 4.

But it’s not just unions that are showing support. Students at the University of Michigan called a picket line on Oct. 5 outside Northwest executive and Michigan University Regent Andrea Fischer New man’s apartment in Ann Arbor. “These aircraft mechanics deserve fair treatment for the hard work that they do,” said Art Reyes, a member of Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality. (Oct. 5, The Michigan Daily)

Northwest flight attendants, cleaners and mechanics also joined the picket line. They accused Newman, an NWA senior vice president, of lying to employees about the airline’s financial health before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this summer. Also stressing safety issues, some protesters carried signs that read: “Don’t gamble with NWA.”