AIRLINES

Northwest Union Contract Up for Vote: Flight attendants and machinists at Northwest Airlines will vote on a new union contract next month that may lead the carrier to sell stock to the public, union and management officials said. A tentative agreement calls for $900 million in concessions by workers, but also requires the carrier to repay the money dollar for dollar within 10 years, a provision that the Teamsters said is unprecedented in the airline industry. NWA Corp., Northwest’s parent, said one way for it to meet its financial obligations would be to go public.