Northwest, Union Are Set to Meet With Judge

Northwest Airlines Corp. and its flight attendants union, which have broken off contract talks, are set to meet today with the judge who urged them to negotiate when he blocked a strike last week.

The meeting with U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in New York will gauge whether more talks are possible, said David Borer, general counsel of the Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA. The Eagan, Minn.-based airline “remains available to resume discussions,” Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said.

Marrero in a temporary ruling Friday said the union’s 9,300 members at Northwest couldn’t walk off the job in response to the airline imposing $195 million in annual pay and benefit cuts.