More than 200 striking Northwest airline mechanics held a Labor Day rally outside Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport. WIN reporter, Grace Turner, was there.

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A militant mood infused the hundreds of union members and supporters gathered to support striking Northwest airline mechanics.

Across the country, more than 4,400 members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association have been walking picket lines without pay or healthcare coverage since August 20th.

[Prisco1] “Right now we’re on strike because Norwest airlines has made some extreme demands and they haven’t backed off on those demands.”

Joseph Prisco, AMFA Local 9 President, says his union offered Northwest a 16 percent pay cut and an additional 20 percent cost increase in medical benefits. But he says, Northwest refused to negotiate and is insisting on a 25 percent wage cut, as well as the layoff of about half of the mechanics.

Prisco says the mechanics are drawing a line in the sand for all workers by refusing Northwest’s demand.

[Prisco2] “They see some of the splits in the labor movement and they figure they can pick us off one at a time. What we’re trying to do is remind the other unions the regardless of our internal disputes we need to close ranks and fight the real bad guys, which are the bosses.”

Northwest hired 1,900 replacement mechanics at a higher wage than it offered its union workers. Management began lining up the strikebreakers about 18 months ago, long before it began negotiations with the union.

According to AMFA, temporary mechanics are not required to undergo FBI 10-year security background checks and are not as familiar with Northwest airplanes. Prisco argues the use of these inexperienced crews are dangerous.

[Prisco2] “Well, they’re still flying but it’s a limited schedule and they’re also flying with mechanics that aren’t properly trained, so eventually all this maintenance is going to back up and God forbid there’s an accident because of one of them, but that’s what we’re worried about most – the safety of the aircraft.”

So far the mechanics haven’t received much support from the leadership of other unions with Northwest fight attendants, pilots and baggage handlers crossing their picket lines.

Joanne Kazeme, Northwest flight attendant representative:

[Kazeme1] “We have today several scab flight attendants working the line that have replaced our flight attendants that chose not to go to work and cross the picket line.”

However, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union is doing what it can to support the strike.

Trent Willis is the president of ILWU Local 10.

[Willis1] “If we don’t band together, union worker, non union worker, all workers, we are in big trouble.”

AMFA is asking for all labor union members to stop flying with Northwest until the airline bargains in good faith with the union.

For WIN evening news, I’m Grace Turner.