AFA to File a Petition With Mediation Board for Election at Delta

[Gordon Werner]

Flight Attendants' Union to File a Petition With Mediation Board for Election at Delta

A Wall Street Journal Online News Roundup

ATLANTA -- Delta Air Lines faces another union-organizing drive as the Association of Flight Attendants said it will file a petition with the National Mediation Board to poll the carrier's 20,000 attendants.

"This is four or five years of work coming to a head," David Borer, general counsel for the union, said Monday. "Now, we feel we're ready to win."

The union must present the mediation board with the signatures of 35% of the eligible workers to get an election. Winning the bid to unionize Delta would require more than 50% of the flight attendants returning mailed ballots approving the election. The union will file the petition Wednesday.

Delta spokeswoman Peggy Estes said the carrier, the least unionized of the U.S.'s major carriers, expects the employees to reject the union. "The flight attendants currently enjoy the best pay, benefits and working conditions in the industry," she said.

The Association of Flight Attendants represents about 50,000 other flight attendants, including those at UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and US Airways Group Inc.

Only pilots and a handful of other Delta employees currently are unionized. Management has fought vigorously to maintain the company's mostly union-free status, arguing that it gives it more flexibility and a cost advantage over other carriers and shields it from the work slowdowns and strikes that beleaguer many airlines.

But unions have gained some momentum at Delta, particularly since a corporate retrenchment in the mid-1990s shattered a family-like corporate culture and hurt employee morale. Also, flight attendants and other nonunionized employee groups watched closely earlier this year as the Air Line Pilots Association negotiated a new labor contract that makes Delta pilots the best-paid in the industry.

Earlier this month the airline, which also is facing an intense union drive to organize its 10,000 mechanics, unveiled pay raises that will make its mechanics the highest paid in the industry. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association called the move a bald effort to undermine its organizing drive.

Association of Flight Attendants spokeswoman Dawn Deek said ballots would be mailed to Delta's attendants within 60 days of the mediation board's validation of the initial signature cards, and that results of the vote would be tabulated within the following 30 days.

The union said it will hold rallies in Washington, D.C., and other cities Wednesday to showcase its efforts to organize at Delta.

[Gordon Werner]

Delta flight attendants deliver union petitions

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Flight attendants at Delta Air Lines Inc. on Wednesday gave
federal mediators petitions calling for a vote to join the Association of Flight Attendants.

Delta is the only major U.S. carrier without a flight attendants' union.

Labor organizers said signatures had been received from more than 50 percent of Delta's 20,000 flight attendants, well above the 35 percent required for the National Mediation Board to call an election.

To the sound of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," about 30 flight attendants marched into a Washington D.C. park, pushing carts carrying nine boxes of petitions.

Attendants at Atlanta-based Delta said they had seen their benefits erode while unionized pilots at the airline had made great gains.

"Delta thinks we don't notice that the pilots' new contract includes significant raises, improved benefits, better schedules and strong work rules," said Scott Hayter, a New York-based Delta attendant.

Third-ranked Delta has been the only non-union carrier among the five biggest U.S. airlines.

Although its pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, its 10,000 mechanics are still in the middle of a union-organizing effort by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.

The Association of Flight Attendants says a vote at Delta would be the largest union representation election in airline history and represent the culmination of a three-year effort.

It is not clear how soon the mediation board would order an election. A simple majority of 50 percent plus 1 is necessary for a decision.

[Gordon Werner]

Wednesday August 29, 12:48 pm Eastern Time

Press Release

SOURCE: Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Delta Air Lines Confident Its Flight Attendants Will Reject Union Bid

ATLANTA, Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines today expressed confidence that its flight attendants will "say no" to union efforts to gain representation rights over them. "We are confident that Delta flight attendants will resist attempts for union representation, as they have done consistently in the past, and continue a 60-year tradition of remaining union- free," said Sharon Wibben, Delta's senior vice president for In Flight Services.

Wibben's statement is in response to the Association of Flight Attendants' announced intention to file an application with the National Mediation Board (NMB) for an election at Delta. The NMB will decide appropriate election dates if it determines that the application meets the requirements for an election.

Delta's flight attendants enjoy the industry's leading pay and benefits. Together with Delta's compensation philosophy of "top pay" for all frontline employee groups, Delta provides its flight attendants advantages that unions at other carriers have been trying in vain to match.

"We already provide for our flight attendants what unions at other carriers cannot provide. Delta flight attendants are the envy of the industry," said Wibben. "Our flexibility allows us to listen to our people, to act promptly and to treat people as individuals."

"We respect our flight attendants' ability to make informed choices based on the facts. We will continue to be the source for accurate, factual information so that they may make their decisions accordingly," she said.

Delta believes unionization would impair the flight attendants' ability to work directly with its leadership and negatively affect the trust and teamwork required to effectively meet significant economic and competitive challenges.

Delta has consistently been able to provide industry-leading pay and benefits. In addition, Delta said its flexibility has enabled it to provide many unique innovations, such as an auxiliary program, eight-hour turns, Crew Runner ground transportation, and much more.

Delta also has worked to preserve jobs in the recent economic downturn, in contrast to the actions of other businesses. In fact, Delta has never laid off any flight attendant in its history. Few if any other airlines, with or without a contract, can match Delta's record of job security...of respecting flight attendants.

Delta plans to continue the "Delta Difference" by maintaining its proud heritage of remaining predominantly union-free and focusing its efforts on operational excellence, providing the finest customer service available and returning the company to profitability.

Last year, Delta's ramp and cargo employees soundly rejected efforts by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to gain representation rights in two elections. The TWU received votes from fewer than 20 percent of the eligible voters both times.

Delta's goal is to become the No. 1 airline in the eyes of its customers, flying passengers and cargo from anywhere to everywhere. People choose to fly Delta more often than any other airline in the world on 5,091 flights each day to 365 cities in 64 countries on Delta, Delta Express, Delta Shuttle, Delta Connection carriers and Delta's Worldwide Partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that gives customers extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. In addition to safely and securely making reservations and purchasing tickets at delta.com, Delta customers can select seats, upgrade, get up-to-date flight information, make accommodations reservations, and more. U.S.-based travel agencies also can access Delta Web fares for their customers via delta.com's Online Agency Service Center. For more information, go to http://www.delta.com.

SOURCE: Delta Air Lines, Inc.