nwa021508
On the homepage
Vikings
Out There
Pardon Board
Petters
Senate panel to question Northwest execs
A leading senator wants to explore ways to protect Minnesota jobs in case of a Northwest-Delta merger and ensure that the state gets paid back for previous aid.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on Digg
Minnesota business by the numbers
See Minnesota's top earning companies, CEOs and non-profits
Related Content
More from Business
Minnesota Senate President James Metzen said today that he would hold a hearing -- and possibly subpeona top Northwest Airlines officials -- to get answers regarding a possible merger with Delta Airlines and its effect on the state's economy.
Metzen, speaking to reporters, said Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar had already agreed to attend the hearing, which could take place late next week. Metzen chairs the Senate's Business, Industry and Jobs Committee, and said one possibility could be to see how the state might again help the airline financially.
With the possible merger appearing to be moving quickly, Metzen said, "we're going to find out what's going on." He said that if a merger meant that many Northwest employees would be transferred out of Minnesota, "I'm not very excited about that."
But Metzen, a South St. Paul DFLer, said his district was home to many Northwest employees, and added that "if it takes something [more] from the state, we'll look at that too."
However, he said state officials were also concerned about previous loans made to the airline. "We want to get paid. We got to find out how much money they borrowed from us, and what they paid back.
"This economy is already going down, spiraling down, and we can't afford to see Macy's leave" and also Northwest move. "At the same token, where's the -- I don't know if the word's loyalty or what," he said.
Mike Kaszuba • 612-673-4388
Recent Business stories
Heinz to report its second-quarter results Tuesday - February 15, 2008
Heinz to report its second-quarter results Tuesday - H.J. Heinz Co. is scheduled to report earnings for its fiscal second quarter on Tuesday before the market opens. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. More
Blog: Patent Pending
Lights out at U energy conference. Irony police notified.
Just as Lawrence Kazmerski, a top official at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was about to give the keynote address at the University of Minnesota's annual E3 conference at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, the lights went out, bathing the audience in darkness and a deep sense of irony.
Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments