By Doug Cunningham

Northwest Airlines mechanics union continues to negotiate with the company in Washington but a Friday night strike deadline is quickly approaching. Ted Ludwig is President of Local 33 of the Aircraft Mechanic's Fraternal Association.

[Ted Ludwig 1] : "I am hopeful that we'll get some kind of agreement. Of course, none of us really want to go on strike."

Northwest is pressing for $176 million in concessions and wants to slash union jobs, all the while threatening to go into bankruptcy. Ludwig says the union will continue to talk with Northwest right up to the strike deadline.

[Ludwig 2] : "Our national director will be the one that calls the strike. When he tells us to walk, we're gonna walk. And if Northwest locks us out and we're still talking, I think that would show right there that they don't really want an agreement."

The union believes, however, that Northwest will go into bankruptcy whether or not it gets concessions from its unions. The pilots union at UPS says it won't fly goods from Northwest's cargo operation if the airline's mechanics strike this weekend. Flight attendants are also considering whether or not to cross the picket lines.