Members of the Socialist Party of Michigan have been on the picketline at the Northwest Terminal of Detroit Metro Airport to support the workers striking against Northwest Airlines. If you’d like to help support the strikers on the picketline, you can park for free at the UAW hall at 29841 Van Born Road, Romulus, MI 48174 where vans go to and from the airport picketline every hour. Click here to download the SPMI flyer for distribution to NWA strikersSocialist Party USA Labor Commission Statement on the NWA Mechanics StrikeThe Labor Commission of the Socialist Party USA is closely following the struggle of mechanics, custodians and cleaners at Northwest Airlines, and we support their decision to strike against NWA’s union-busting tactics and unreasonable demands for further job cuts. The airline industry has gone through a prolonged and massive assault on workers in the name of cutting costs. NWA’s insatiable hunger for profit has already led to 5,000 lost jobs in the last four years. Under the logic of capitalist globalization, 70% of airline maintenance contracts are now done outside of the US. Even smaller, mid-range airplanes are now being sent to El Salvador where workers are paid only a fraction of what their US counterparts earn. We stand in solidarity with the workers of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and oppose the drive by Northwest, and other airlines, to smash unions by cutting jobs, pay, and pensions. We call on the pilots, flight attendants, machinists and all airline industry workers to honor the mechanics’ picket lines and stand united against the airline’s attacks on good jobs. Furthermore, we support efforts to bring together the 15 airline industry unions to better coordinate the mutual aide and protection of workers against their common employers.

As the Socialist Party Labor Commission, we are committed to building broad-based community support for the welfare of the working class, making real the slogan “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
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We encourage our members and friends to:
1) send a letter of support to the AMFA fax at 603-527-9151or email LAN_EMAIL_SUBS
2) If Northwest flies to your local airport, head down to the Northwest terminal and join strikers on the picket line. Bring snacks, water, and picket signs.
3) If you’re a union member, get your local union or Jobs with Justice chapter to support the strikers. Bring other activists out to the line with you and encourage your union to pass a resolution supporting the strikers.
4) Solidarity is especially needed near NWA hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis, and San Francisco. If you live near Detroit, we encourage you to get involved with building community support by contacting Chris Kutalik of Labor Notes at LAN_EMAIL_SUBS.