Northwest flight attendants union sues Delta over alleged contract violations

[Omaha Steve]

Source: examiner.com

Marc Friedman

With a crucial vote coming up soon, the union representing former Northwest Airlines cabin crew has fired a shot across the bow at Delta Air Lines. Alledging that the airline is breaking the contract it currently has in place with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA which still represents the former NWA staff, the union filed a federal lawsuit in Washington claiming that Delta isn't honoring numerous aspects of the contract.

Specifically, the AFA says that its members are required to have more than two days off after working long international flights, but that Delta is putting them back on the line after just 11 hours. The union also charged that the Atlanta-based airline is meeting with groups of flight attendants that have been chosen without union participation, as well as not resolving flight attendant grievances.

Delta has responded by saying, "We believe this lawsuit has no merit and can only presume it is meant to divide flight attendants and distract them from the upcoming representation election." The former Northwest attendants who number 7,000 are still in the union, but Delta's cabin crew are not represented by a union. The expected election in the near future will determine if the combined carrier's flight attendants, 20,000 in total, will have union representation moving forward. Assuming the 7,000 former NWA union members vote to continue with their AFA-CWA affiliation, it would take just over 3,000 of the 13,000 Delta flight attendants voting in favor to unionize all of the cabin crew staff.

Delta finalized its purchase of Twin Cities-based Northwest Airlines in December of 2008.


Read more: http://www.examiner.com/airlines-airport-in-minneapolis/northwest-flight-attendants-union-sues-delta-over-alleged-contract-violations

[SoapBox]

1. Over the past years, Delta has spent millions with outside companies...

to keep the flight attendants from voting in a union. The company gets coached...the contractors
work with them telling them what to do, what management/supervisors should say and
coordinates mailings, fliers and posters.

There have been prior votes, both of which failed. Delta has used every trick
in the book (many, many which by law, are illegal) to keep a union out. With the
past elections, protests were filed but to no avail...keeping the past Administration
and staffing of the NMB, in mind.

They have a new and more difficult project on this one. The carrier has been
deemed a "single" carrier...the NW name is gone, the planes painted, the computer
systems merged, logos and uniforms all Delta for everyone but...the flight attendants
work as two separate groups, isolated to the original NW or Delta base cities.

There was was also a decision recently, changing how votes had been done in the past. If
someone simply did not vote, it was counted as a NO vote. Delta used, repeatedly a slogan
in several departments, "Give a rip" or "Just rip one for the company" (that type of thing), trying
to get the flight attendants to simply rip up the ballot when it arrived. They will not
be able to do that this time.

This go around, the company is actively and aggressively telling flight attendants that they MUST
vote to get their "voice" heard...but what they want is for them to vote no.

...it's messy and ugly.

FYI...the America West Airlines and US Airways flight attendants have NEVER been merged (at least at
my last knowing). The flight attendants are both AFA and have worked out a contract that they would
like but the company simply has not moved on a contract. Thus...the two groups have been kept
separate now for FIVE YEARS. I think that there has been a filing for mediation by the flight attendants,
with the company protesting...but...that was the last I knew. Anyone?
I'm sure that Delta has been watching that situation like hawks...thinking, hey, we can do that too!

Info courtesy of friends in the airline industry...my interpretation. :-)