Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines Corp. on Thursday asked the federal National Mediation Board to declare contract talks with the bankrupt airline to be at an impasse, a first step towards the group winning legal authority to go on strike. The Association of Flight Attendants told members that a meeting was set for next week in Washington to update the mediation board on discussions between the parties. The federal Railway Labor Act prohibits airline employees from walking off the job prior to the mediation board declaring talks to be at an impasse and ordering a 30-day cooling-off period. The union earlier this summer argued that Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest had violated the Railway Labor Act when it imposed new terms on the group, however the airline last week won an injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero barring the union from striking. Northwest has said it needs $195 million in annual savings from the flight attendants in order to complete its restructuring. The company imposed new terms after the group twice rejected concession agreements negotiated between the airline and union leaders.—Lou Whiteman
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