"In a way, the terrorists have won," said Pankonin as he finished his shift on the picket line. "Our country is not anything like it used to be."We call them "mechanics," but in a lot of countries, they would be called "engineers." Most had almost two years of technical training to qualify for hard-earned licenses and bought thousands of dollars' worth of tools with their own money. Many learned their trade in the military, then worked in low-paying civilian jobs before landing one of the most prestigious and sought-after jobs in America. Jobs that are going the way of the passenger pigeon and the dodo bird. And taking a way of life with them.
Ron Pankonin, 52 and with 25 years at Northwest Airlines, is a striking member of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association. He started working on airplanes in the Air Force more than 30 years ago, then spent two years in a trade school to become certified as a mechanic. When the strike began, he needed a trailer to haul his double-wide tool chest from a hangar to his home in Eagan.
"That was the first time in 25 years I took my tools home," said Pankonin, who was wearing a Desert Storm cap while passing out leaflets at the airport Tuesday. "I had to get a couple of guys to help me roll them up a ramp." He looked glum, as if the unspoken thought running in his head was, "I doubt I'll need help to get them back." Pankonin has $5,000 worth of tools -- calipers, torque wrenches, dial indicators, swivel sockets and more I've never heard of.
In the past, when a Northwest mechanic died, his tools were raffled off, with other mechanics buying $5 tickets and the proceeds going to the family. The time when a man with tools was respected is over.After spending $100 million to gird for a strike by a union that has conceded millions in pay cuts, Northwest is using a mix of supervisors and nonunion mechanics to see if the brave new era of airline economics permits it to fly without its loyal workforce.
This isn't just a theoretical experiment. The careers of thousands of American workers who built a company while they supported their families are being tossed in a heap.....
http://www.startribune.com/stories/357/5575700.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
