In a story without any new news hook, the Detroit News reports that Northwest is at a standstill with its unions over pay and benefit reductions.

Union contract negotiation is long and ‘laborious’ and full of posturing on both sides. Recently, the pilots union offered to forgo a contracted raise, and Northwest rejected the offer as too little. Presumably Northwest will have to pay the raise as a result. Months go by without contract discussions. Northwest said they’d file for bankruptcy if they didn’t achieve cost concessions by a certain date. That date passed and Northwest hasn’t filed.

No wonder non-union carriers are cleaning the old dinosaurs’ clocks.