EAGAN, Minn. (AP) - Leaders of the union representing flight attendants at Northwest Airlines said Friday that Chief Executive Doug Steenland has mismanaged the airline and called for his resignation.

"Severe staffing shortages, record flight cancellations, low employee morale and outraged customers are the direct result of poor management by Steenland," Kevin Griffin, president of Northwest branch of the Association of Flight Attendants, said in a prepared statement.

"Northwest flight attendants sacrificed 40 percent in pay, work rules and benefits cuts and are 20 percent more productive, all in an effort to ensure the survival of Northwest Airlines. In return for our investment, Mr. Steenland pocketed a lucrative compensation package and has mismanaged our airline. It's insulting to flight attendants that he remains employed," Griffin said.

The AFA statement comes just three weeks after the Northwest branch of the Air Line Pilots Association blamed top management for creating a pilot staffing shortage and said it had no confidence in the airline's leadership.

Northwest was forced to cancel about 1,200 flights over a seven-day period in late June, partly because it lacked enough pilots.

Both unions have strongly criticized Steenland for accepting a $26.6 million package of stock and stock options over four years.

Northwest said in a prepared statement that its board "has expressed its confidence in Doug Steenland's leadership by retaining him as president and chief executive." Under Steenland, the statement said, Northwest had a "successful restructuring and emergence from bankruptcy as a much stronger and now profitable airline."