As his union members continue their strike against Northwest Airlines, their leader is striving to garner the support of the rest of the labor movement - a task made difficult given his personal history. Ever since he founded the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association 43 years ago, O. V. Delle-Femine has been something of a labor pariah, enraging the machinists and other unions by repeatedly seeking to steal their members. He must now turn to those unions for help in his battle against Northwest.
See "A Maverick Union Chief Now in Search of Unity", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, August 24, 2005