I originally posted this on dKos this afternoon, hoping to make the recommended list and take advantage of their gigantic number of users. But, since it didn’t work, I figured it couldn’t hurt if our smaller but more vocal version of Frog Worshipers tried to send Northwest a message.
Northwest Airlines has announced its intentions of hiring permanent replacement workers to replace striking airline mechanics.
I have written the airline to let them know that if they do hire permanent replacements, as announced, I will never fly with their airline again.
I don’t think that the economic impact of losing my business poses much of a threat to Northwest. But I do think that the potential impact of a Kossack-wide boycott of Northwest Airlines might garner their attention.
My position on this is pretty simple:
1. I’m sick and tired of multi-national corporations running right over the top of the rights of working men and women with no accountability.
2. Daily Kos is the only place I know of where we have so many individuals gathered together, who are easily accessible to messages like this.
3. We have enough people here at Daily Kos so that our collective action might have a real impact.
If you are of a similar mind, that Northwest ought to either go back to the table and bargain with the mechanic’s union, or face an economic impact from a populous who is unhappy with their decision to hire replacement workers, then I would ask you to do two things. One, recommend this diary so that enough Kossacks can get the message to act in this way. And two, go to this link and let Northwest know that you are a Kossack who will stop flying on their airlines if they go ahead with their plans to hire permanent replacement workers.
If you don’t have the time to write your own letter to Northwest, you are welcome to cut and paste this language:
I am a reader and member of the Daily Kos blog. I am informed that Daily Kos has over 40,000 subscribing members, and the website receives hudreds of thousands of hits daily. I have heard that Northwest Airlines intends to hire permanent replacement workers to replace striking workers from the mechanic’s union. I, like many member of the Daily Kos community, strongly support the plight of working men and women. If Northwest goes through with its pledge to hire permanent replacement workers, I am resolved to give up flying on Northwest Airlines in the future.
Notes: Choose “Comment on Your Travel Experience” from the pull-down menu to send your message. And, if you aren’t a dKos subscriber you might need to fiddle with language or risk lying (though not lying as much as our President).
How multi-nationals respond to one voice, and why they need to hear from many — the response to my letter from Northwest:
“Thank you for contacting nwa.com Customer Service.
We appreciate your feedback and your interest in Northwest Airlines. We
understand and respect the variety of opinions surrounding the
mechanic’s strike and our ongoing challenge to restructure our labor
costs.
Be assured that your comments will be forwarded to the responsible
individuals in Northwest. Our customers remain our first priority, and
your feedback will be evaluated with the consideration it deserves.
We do have a list of questions and answers concerning the labor
situation and our contingency plan at
http://www.nwa.com/features/laborqa/index.html
I hope that this information is helpful to you regarding your concerns.
Thank you again for using nwa.com Customer Service. We appreciate the
opportunity to serve you, our customer.
Sincerely,
Danika Thiers
nwa.com Customer Service”
if others follow this link and recommend, perhaps it will surface again.
Having seen NWA’s customer service reply, I think you could recommend that they purchase a copy of Your Call Is Important to Us: The Truth about Bullshit from Powell’s. [Make sure they use Boo’s partner number, though!]
I read the preview for the book. I am definitely putting it on my reading list. Makes me feel better about being angry all the time. The bullshit made me do it.
Now that they broke the union whose work they can outsource they’ll file for bankruptcy to reneg on the contracts of those whose work can’t be outsourced and dump pensions and retiree benefits. oooh happy day in MSP DTW & MEM
Northwest to replace 5000+ Mechanics and Cleaners with >1500 replacements. NWA is only talking about hiring mechanics. Probability of Bankruptcy 95%
Oct. 17th is deadline for change in bankrupcy laws for corporations as well.
Expect Delta to file, already asked pilots for more wage cuts (in addition to 30% earlier this year) working on financing. Probability of Bankruptcy 100%
Expect Delta and Northwest to use bankrupty to shed themselves of pension obligations (both have severely underfunded pensions). In addition, expect cancellation of existing contracts with all trades and renegotiation.
Layoffs probably about 25% of pre bankruptcy levels.
Not sure what will happen to Aircraft Orders and impact at Boeing.