Senator vows to block Northwest expansion plans

[Love Bug]

Backed by Northwest Airlines mechanics who said the firm's push to outsource their work compromises air safety, a charge the airline denies, Sen. Satveer Chaudhary vowed Friday to block the airline's expansion plans at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport if it goes ahead with up to 900 layoffs in Minnesota.

"Under no circumstances should this company expect the taxpayers of Minnesota to give them a monopoly on our busiest transportation hub while cutting Minnesota jobs and hurting Minnesota families," he said.

<snip>

Chaudhary said Northwest's $862 million plan to expand the airport and move all competing airlines to the satellite Humphrey terminal by 2007 should get no public support under current circumstances.

"Based on this plan to cut jobs, it's clear that Northwest has not earned the goodwill of Minnesota's taxpayers and should not be rewarded with their money or a state-sanctioned monopoly," Chaudhary said. "The state of Minnesota needs partners, not competing interests."

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5300602.html

Good for him! He should be supported in this!

[no name no slogan]

1. Chaudhary RULES!

I met and talked with him last year at the 5th CD convention. He's a GREAT speaker, a solid progressive, and very inspiring!

The state of MN has subsidized the h3ll out of Northwest over the years, and what have we got in return? An airline with record-low customer satisfaction, one that has demanded repeated concessions from its workers while paying bonuses to its executives, and repeated "threats" to move jobs out of the state.

With all the tax $$ they've gotten from us over the last couple decades, we DESERVE to be treated better than this.

[trotsky]

2. Get a load of this:

"The safety of our aircraft and flight operations has always been a paramount concern at Northwest ... Moreover, every major air carrier in the United States engages in similar maintenance outsourcing, most to much higher degrees." - from the letter written by Julie Hagen Showers, Northwest's vice president for labor relations

In other words, "But mom, everyone else is doing it!"

When are people going to wake up and stop letting themselves be squashed by big companies? Bravo to Sen. Chaudhary.

[Coastie for Truth]

3. USAIR at PIT - same story; GM in Flint - same story

The taxpayers built a Taj Mahal terminal - far bigger then "local traffic" needed - maintenance hangars, regular hangars, office building, etc. for USAir -- financed on County Bonds. Then USAir outsources maintenance -- and moves its hub to Charlotte.

Michael Moore's Roger and Me - the locals built a major plant for GM with revenue bonds -- and GM closed the plant.

At some point you to stand up and say NO

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. That part about moving all other airlines to the Humphrey Terminal?

Sounds like they're scared of the competition.

[Love Bug]

5. Yep -- they want to ghetto-ize them

Not that the Humphrey terminal is a ghetto, but you know what I mean.