Tomorrow members of the striking Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association will be holding a nationwide day of support for aircraft mechanics still on strike against Northwest Airlines.
Interested folks will be able to support striking workers by bringing items to be donated to be sold on eBay. The proceeds will go towards helping fund the documentary film project
Red Tail Movie. You can check out the trailer at the link.
Also, the MN Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party is calling on DFLers to support the striking mechanics, as they did in an e-mail sent out today.
Dear DFLer,
This Friday, May 26, Northwest Airlines mechanics will have been on strike for 281 days. A Day of Support and Solidarity has been called at Highland Park in St. Paul.
You are invited to join Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and union supporters at the Highland Park - Picnic Pavilion, 1200 Montreal Avenue in St. Paul anytime from 9 am until 7 pm.
This is part of a nationwide event where all AMFA members and union supporters are picketing their respective airports to highlight awareness of the ongoing strike and, in our case, the inaction of Governor Tim Pawlenty. Striking NWA mechanics in an identical situation in Michigan, where they had the support of a Democratic governor, have been granted unemployment benefits and re-training. Unfortunately for
Minnesota mechanics, Governor Pawlenty has been unresponsive to the needs of the workers.
Food, drinks and a shuttle service will be available throughout the day at the Pavilion, so feel free to drop by to lend your support at any time.
DFL gubernatorial candidates Attorney General Mike Hatch, State Senator Steve Kelley and State Senator Becky Lourey will address folks at the Pavilion beginning at 4 pm.
Another unique activity will take place at this event---a fundraiser to help finance the documentary "The Red Tail," which tells of the struggle between NWA and the loyal workers that helped it grow from a two-plane company in 1926 to the fourth largest airline in the world. Clean out
your closets and help finance this independent film! Roy Koch, former striking and now retired NWA mechanic is taking a novel approach to getting the stories of NWA mechanics, pilots and fight attendants told.
Simply clean out your closets of unwanted items and drop them off at the "Is NWA Safe?" truck, where items will then be sold on eBay to help finance the film! Please consider contributing to this creative effort to be sure the NWA worker's struggles can be told.
Thanks very much for your support of these Minnesota workers.
Donna Cassutt, Associate Chair,
MinnesotaDemocratic-Farmer-Labor Party
More info on this event and news about the ongoing strike against the corporate barons at NWA can be found at AMFA Local 33. You can also check out this informative website on the dangers of foreign outsourcing of commercial aircraft maintenanace.
Do your part to support these striking workers tomorrow!