The CWA's Association of Flight Attendants at Northwest Airlines
is trying to lift a legal order not to strike. Jesse Russell explains.

By Jesse Russell

In September a U.S. federal judge ruled that Northwest Airlines flight attendants should not be allowed to strike while in mediation and the matter should be left up to the bankruptcy court. On Tuesday lawyers for the flight attendants represented by the Association of Flight Attendants
asked the federal appeals court to throw out the lower court ruling. They have called the injunction unlawful because the airline terminated their labor contract in July and imposed wage and benefit cuts. The airline insists that the two sides are still in mediation and the Railway Labor Act says airline workers cannot strike during mediation. It is unknown when the appeals court plans to rule. The move by the flight attendants follows a brief work stoppage by Northwest ground crews in Minneapolis on November 22nd. That demonstration protested Northwest's hiring of non-union workers to clean aircraft. It lasted less than half an hour. The workers are represented by the International Association of Machinists, and that union has said there may be more work stoppages in the future.