Northwest talks continue

AP Photo Northwest planes stand immobile at Mineapolis airport as the pilot's strike nears it thirteenth day.

Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater left Minnesota on Tuesday night after meeting with representatives of both sides, but presidential aide Bruce Lindsey remained as the parties worked with a mediator to find a way to end the strike.

The sides have been stalled on issues of pay and job security.

As the talks continued under a news blackout at a suburban hotel, two feeder airlines that had suspended service because of the strike were making plans to resume flying to 17 smaller towns with no other air service.

The U.S. Department of Transportation gave Express Airlines I until 6 p.m. today to develop a plan to serve five markets from Memphis, Tenn., said Phil Reed, vice president of marketing for Express.

"It allows us the opportunity to develop a plan to return to some level of flying that's economically feasible, to provide effective flying, not to simply operate an airline," Reed said.

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