June 13, 2006 – Northwest Airlines Equipment Service & Stock Clerk (ESSC) members accepted the terms of an agreement reached with the bankrupt airline on May 19, 2006. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper had threatened to rule on Northwest’s motion to abrogate the ESSC contract on June 14, 2006 if the agreement was not ratified.
The ESSC membership joins IAM-represented Plant Protection (PP) and Clerical, Office Fleet and Passenger Service (COFPS) groups with ratified agreements with Northwest. Forty Flight Simulator Technicians & Simulator Support Specialists are the only remaining IAM group without a modified agreement, but the airline has not moved to abrogate their agreement at this time and negotiations with the carrier are ongoing.
The agreement will not become effective until Northwest Airlines has concessions in place, either ratified or imposed with court approval, with all the unions at the airline.