Mesaba delays pay cuts as talks continue with unions

Unhappy
Nick Birchfield of Wayne, Michigan, a Mesaba Airlines Northwest Airlink flight attendant, marched in the Detroit Labor Day Parade.
File Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

(AP) Mesaba Airlines could have scrapped labor contracts and imposed pay cuts on its union workers early today. But the feeder carrier for Northwest Airlines decided instead to delay the cuts and continue negotiating with its unions.

No matter how the negotiations turn out, travelers were expected to see no disruption because a bankruptcy court has blocked the unions from striking.

Mesaba spokeswoman Elizabeth Costello says the airline's goal is to reach contract agreements with the unions.

Meanwhile, Mesaba's union workers plan to rally today in downtown Minneapolis, regardless of whether any agreements are reached. They'll be joined by Northwest workers in protesting a bankruptcy judge's rulings allowing Mesaba to impose pay cuts and preventing union job actions.