International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 1833 members will conduct informational picketing on April 20 and 27 and May 4 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport "to fight for the integrity of our jobs and secure our future at Northwest Airlines."

The picketing will take place from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Terminal, upper east side.

"The anger and frustration among all employee groups at Northwest Airlines was evident throughout the voting process" on the airline's settlement proposal, said District 143 President Bobby De Pace. "In the end, Northwest management failed to convince a majority of the workforce that the proposal was appropriate or that they could be trusted to honor their commitments."

In reaction to IAM members' recent rejection of Northwest Airlines unacceptable concessions, the airline is petitioning the Bankruptcy Court on May 15 to terminate the union contract for 5,632 ground workers. In bankruptcy court legally negotiated contracts can be abrogated, leaving contract employees at the will of whatever terms the company chooses to impose. This bankruptcy process has been used to force concessions at several airlines including United Airlines, US Airways, and now Northwest Airlines.

Local 1833 members delivered a split decision last month on the bankrupt airline's $190 million cost-cutting proposal.

In separate voting by classification, Northwest's proposal was accepted by the 7,677-member Clerical, Office, Fleet and Passenger Service (COFPS) group by 67 percent and the 18-member Plant Protection (PP) group by 53 percent. A similar proposal was rejected by the 5,632-member Equipment Service and Stock Clerks (ESSC) by 60 percent and the 42-member Flight Simulator Technicians and Simulator Support Specialists (SIMOP) by 88 percent.

The groups who rejected the contract authorized the union to call a strike.

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