By Jesse Russell

Northwest has nearly finished hiring replacement workers for the mechanics that have been stalwart on picket lines since late August. Of the more than 3,000 members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association that have been on strike, the union says only about 70 have returned to Northwest. Of those, two returned to the picket lines complaining about the quality of the replacement workers and the new working environment. Northwest has asked a bankruptcy court judge to impose cuts on the other unions at the airline.