As for the Northwest dispute, some observers trace it not just to the 1993 agreement (in which the pilots' wage concessions were alleviated by the award of stock in the company and a seat on the board) but to dislike of the abrasive style of Al Checchi, chairman until last year, before his quixotic decision to run for governor of California.

ECONOMIST: Labour??s seeds of discontent

It also could help stem the tide of wage-and-hour cases that have seen courts award overtime to such traditionally exempt employees as stockbrokers and loan officers.

FORBES: Supreme Court Rejects Labor Dept. View On Sales-Rep Overtime