Want More Time To Convince FAs To Support Union

When unionized pilots for Delta and Northwest reached an agreement with Delta management on a post-merger contract, that agreement called for the Air Line Pilots Association to submit an application to the National Mediation Board, seeking a determination that Delta and Northwest now constitute a single carrier.

Approval by the NMB would trigger a 14-day countdown for other unions to demonstrate 35 percent employee support for a union representation vote at the combined company.

Pilots were the only unionized major segment of the Delta workforce, but Northwest was heavily unionized. Two major union groups at Northwest were ground workers, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and flight attendants, represented by The Association of Flight Attendants.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports AFA has now filed suit against Delta management, claiming that rushing the deadline for the 35 percent requirement amounts to illegal interference in a union election. The union is concerned it won't have time to convince non-union Delta attendants they'd be better off as AFA members.

Delta is telling its flight attendants they would benefit more from a seniority integration process dubbed "fair and equitable," according to federal law, which Delta is using, versus the union’s seniority integration process based on "date of hire."

AFA also charges that starting the seniority integration process before a union representation vote could force the AFA to act on behalf of the interests of Northwest attendants, which would cast the union in an unflattering light among the non-union Delta FAs at a time when they're considering how to vote.

Delta spokesman Kent Landers says the AFA’s position is, quote - "wrong as a matter of law and does not serve the interest of our combined flight attendant group."

Much is at stake for Delta in the outcome of the vote. Non-union flight attendants from the pre-merger Delta outnumber former Northwest attendants by a wide margin, but AFA came close to gaining representation rights at Delta back in May. If the union can't pull the combined workforce together under the AFA banner, it will lose its right to represent even the former Northwest attendants who are already members.

Presumably, Delta management would welcome the chance to operate with a fully non-union workforce.

FMI: www.delta.com, www.afanet.com