Says Date-Of-Hire Should Be Only Criteria In Merging List With Delta

Northwest flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, reiterated their position this week on "date of hire" seniority integration after arbitrators announced Monday the long-awaited decision in the Delta Air Lines pilots' union case.

After failing to reach an agreement between pilots at Northwest Airlines and Delta, leaders from each council agreed to let a third party panel determine the process for integrating the two seniority lists.

"At AFA-CWA, Northwest flight attendants have a clear cut position regarding seniority integration which is fair and simple; date of hire," said Kevin Griffin, AFA-CWA Northwest President. "An honest integration process that respects our years of service enables the combined flight attendant group to come together even quicker and unite as we become the largest flight attendant group in the world."

Seniority determines everything from flight attendants' hourly wages, to where they are based and what trips they fly. AFA-CWA has been at the forefront of protecting seniority rights since federal regulators stopped requiring such safeguards, part of the Allegheny-Mohawk Labor Protective Provisions, in the 1980s. Last year, AFA-CWA worked with leaders on Capitol Hill to pass a federal provision that would prevent any flight attendant group from being forced to the bottom of a combined seniority list in the event of an airline merger.

"The recent arbitration ruling highlights the importance of our fight to keep our over 60 years of collective bargaining rights," Griffin added. "If Northwest flight attendants lose union representation, this decision gives us potential insight as to how our seniority integration process could proceed. While we understand the complexities of the pilots' situation, seniority integration is far too important to outsource to a third party. The only way to protect and honor the years of service we have dedicated to our careers is through guaranteed date of hire."

AFA-CWA has also mounted a campaign to represent their non-unionized counterparts at Delta.

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