SITTING UP ON CINDER BLOCKS

Almost everyone has seen the image of a car stripped clean of all useful parts sitting up on cinder blocks. Who hasn't watched a movie or television show depicting the scene where an unsuspecting victim goes to the wrong side of town in search of something at some store or business only to return minutes later finding their car laid waste with barely any valuable parts attached. Kind of funny isn't it?

Unless, of course, it happens to you!

Well, it has happened to us; all of us. We had great jobs less than a decade ago with pay and benefits that were worthy of our efforts. We were able to save money and take care of our families' wants and needs. Our kids looked forward to after school extra-curricular activities that cost just a few more dollars. We had health insurance choices that allowed most of us to take care of all our medical needs with hardly a worry. Our sick time and OJI coverage was adequate and mainly hassle free if all the rules were followed.

Life was good and then Delta came calling almost in the middle of the night and stripped us clean. Without union representation, we were left at the mercy of our executives and they spared us little but the bare "chassis" of our original benefit and pay package.

But don't worry, Delta has been promising to take us back to "industry standards" for a few years now and every so often they throw us a few of our car parts back in the form of modest, partial pay restorations or they slightly modify our benefits cosmetically.

These small enhancements are appreciated, don't get us wrong, but they don't get our cars off the cinder blocks. A windshield wiper or bucket of bolts and nuts doesn't make up for the missing engine, drive train or the wheels.

As a matter of fact, if we ever hope to have our cars leave the drive-way again we need all the parts returned and someone willing and capable of putting them back together; a master mechanic. We need the professionalism of the IAM.

They'll get us back on the road with a smooth running car and tank full of gas; not to mention the kind of insurance and backing that will give us the peace of mind should the thieves come calling in the night again.

That promise of industry standard pay and benefits will always be something just around the corner, just out of reach without the power and backing of a union and an IAM contract. Don't be fooled by modest benefits and pay enhancements; they will never add up to what we had before without the power and backing of a legally binding contract.

It's time to get the car off of the front lawn and back on the highway. It's time for the IAM.

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org

BE PREPARED: FOR WHAT DELTA WILL TELL YOU ABOUT UNIONS

Delta Air Lines has a long and proud history...of preventing its employees from having a meaningful voice in the workplace. Delta will spend millions of dollars on outside consultants to coach them on how to skirt the law and scare you into inaction when it comes to voting for a better future. From time to time we will expose these anti-employee techniques so you can be prepared with the truth.

What the company will tell you:

The Union is a third party "outsider" that will interfere with our "Direct Relationship".

The truth:

The Union, the IAM, is made up of working men and women who come from workplaces just like yours. In the IAM Transportation Department, all of the representatives come from their respective workplaces and are elected to the positions they hold. These individuals have years of experience working at airlines, so they speak the airline language. They also have the benefit of a good IAM education so they can properly help you in your representation.

But most importantly, your representatives at Delta will be Delta employees. In the IAM, you elect all of your local representatives from among your peers in your workplace. You will vote on the representatives who will help bargain your contracts. You will be the ones who provide the proposals that will make up your contract. You will vote on the contact that meets your collective acceptance. These are all Delta employees taking care of Delta union-related business.

Delta will tell you that the manager's open door policy will close if you become Union. This just isn't true. With a Union or without, it is up to the manger to have his door open to you. The Union doesn't stand in the way of any relationship with management. Quite the opposite, the Union only serves to enhance that unique employee-employer relationship.

The truth is, your direct relationship with Delta will only be strengthened. It will be strenghtened with the power of a contract behind you. It wil be strenghtened by the power of your voice being collective with your coworkers. Your relationship with Delta will have real meaning, and a real future.

Watch for a well-crafted anti-employee messages to come your way...and remember the truth.

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A HERO'S HOMECOMING

The story you are about to read actually happened. You can't make up this kind of stuff.

Sometime prior to 9/11/01, there was a ramp worker at Northwest Airlines who worked in La Guardia, NY. His name was Bernie. He came to work and did his job to the best of his ability each and every day. One winter evening, during a shift Bernie was working, a US Air flight ran off the runway and into the icy waters nearby. Bernie, along with a number of other airport workers, responded swiftly to the accident, dove into the freezing water and assisted in rescuing a number of passengers by bringing them safely to land. Bernie never thought himself a hero, but in fact he was.

Northwest Airlines also recognized his act of heroism and later presented him with the "President's Award," the highest honor bestowed upon an employee of the company. Within a brief period of time, however, Bernie the hero was fired by NWA. They accused him, as well as two other coworkers, of the most serious terminable offense a company could charge you with.

Bernie, along with the others, filed a grievance with their union, the IAM, to fight their unjust terminations. The union processed it to arbitration. Sadly, Bernie had a heart attack just prior to the hearing date and died.

At this point, Bernie's grievance could have been withdrawn and the incident quickly forgotten. Bernie was single. He was never married nor did he have any children. His parents were both deceased and he, in fact, had only one sister and brother living somewhere in the state of New York, address unknown.

The IAM reviewed the facts of this case and saw the glaring inconsistencies, unsubstantiated charges and gaping holes in the company's case. The IAM proceeded with the case for all three grievants, two living and one deceased, before arbitrator Jack Flagler.

The union asked Mr. Flagler for a bit of latitude to present its case with one of the grievants not able to testify on his behalf nor able to be cross-examined by company counsel.

The company presented their case basically through the coworker who made the initial allegations of wrongdoing. He was not credible and got caught lying on the witness stand by the arbitrator.

In the end, all three were exonerated and won their grievances. The two living grievants returned to work, and all three were awarded back pay and benefits denied them during their wrongful termination. Bernie's good name was restored.

Arbitrator Flagler said, in his 40 years of experience, he has never known a case where the union represented a deceased union member in an arbitration hearing. It took the union nearly three months to track down one of Bernie's two living family members, But the sister was found and she received a check from NWA for nearly $25,000.

This story is not only about justice and restoring the good name of an employee dreadfully wronged, it is also the story of a union, the IAM, that went the extra mile for the people it represents.

It's a story to make you think, who will be there for you when you're virtually alone to face corporate injustice. This story is also true. I know firsthand - I was the union representative who presented this case. I'm also proud and honored to have had the opportunity to help restore Bernie's good name.

While I can't vouch for this part of the story as 100% true I do believe in my heart that upon Bernie's passing, he truly received a hero's welcome home and that he appreciated our efforts on behalf of his sister.

Al Wojcik

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PRESERVE YOUR VOICE AND VOTE

Without a union, there very simply is no democracy in the workplace. Any good idea you have, any change you want to make, any improvement in your work life you may desire is subject to the mood of a manager.

The Union is the voice of the worker - It is your voice.

Don't like your rep? Vote for someone else, or run for the job yourself. Want to see a change in your contract? Submit a proposal that fits your vision. Think your Union should take a position on an issue? Simply go to a meeting and voice your opinion.

Want to make a change at work? Use the power of your Union. There is no other government-sanctioned, legally enforceable was in the USA for us as workers to have democracy in the workplace. Without the Union, the workplace is a dictatorship.

And that's the way the company would prefer it. If the merger is approved, Delta will pour every resource imaginable into defeating workplace rights.

Brave men and women fought and some died for our ability to simply have a vote and a voice in the workplace. Our right to be Union is protected by federal law.

Do you want to lose your contract and pension? Do you want to lose your ability to vote on wages and benefits? Then stand up and protect your rights!

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org

THE SELDOM PRAISED GRIEVANCE PROCESS

You have all heard over and over the benfits of a legally binding Collective Bargaining Agreement like our COFPS Gray Book and ESSC Black Book. These two agreements are full of benefits that you utilize on a daily basis, sometimes without you even knowing it. But how many of you have actually looked up or thought about the seldom praised grievance process - a union's greatest benefit.

Consider this: Jane Doe is coming back to work after being out on a medical. She hears from some of her work friends that there is going to be a station bid on job assignments. She shows up to said bid with her return-to-work paperwork signed by her doctor. She is told she cannot bid because she won't be back to work until after the new bid starts. Jane goes down to the shop committee office and files a grievance. At step-one she wins her grievance, leaving two choices for the company - a re bid or mirror Jane Doe into a line she can hold with her seniority. This is what the grievance process is for.

You have all heard of or experienced problems like this were the IAM member has "right" on their side and the comany is dead wrong. Without a grievance process there is no step-one, step-two or arbitration; there is no dispute settlement or resolution, and there is definitely no justice! Keep Your Say, Keep Your Union!

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WHY WE NEED THE IAM

Think you don't need a Union? Think Again!

Union members earn 24% more than nonunion workers in wages alone, according to the U. S. Dept. of Labor (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm)

While some airlines seem to match what the union carriers pay, they fall far behind when all benefits are compared. IAM represented employees have contractually guaranteed superior vacation and sick pay benefits, continuing pension benefits, and job security protections.

But some of the most important benefits you get from Union membership are impossible to put a price tag on: workplace representatives that you elect, an active and collective voice to bargain over working conditions and fairness on the job.

Working under an IAM collective bargaining agreement means that you'll be under a contract with an enforceable grievance process, protecting your rights and securing fairness on the job.

Most importantly, we get to bargain contracts that set the standard in our industry. It is the job of the union to bend the curve of job supply and demand in favor of the worker - to create better pay and benefits than would exist without the union. Without the voice of the union, our employers get to set the standard. So you really trust them to do the same?

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GROWING UP DELTA

My first awareness of the labor movement came at a young age. My father worked at Southern Railroad in downtown Atlanta, as a scheduler in management. The same Southern Railroad that Tom Talbot organized a small group of railroad machinists at in 1888, the same group that became the IAM. If you are familiar with synchronicity you’ll understand why I bring this up at this point. I remember riding with my mother late at night to meet my father on his lunch breaks. During these meetings his conversations with her were punctuated with phrases like, "god damn union this" and "god damn union that." I remember it, not for the language or conversation, but for the ride. The lights and buildings of a big city are impressionable on a six year-old.

He left that job and went to work for Delta Airlines, in another management position, at a nonunion airline. The perfect melding of man and job; my father absolutely loathed the union for all of his years. In retrospect, with his Southem upbringing and Dixiecrat ways I understand his frustration. My father worked at Delta Airlines for 32 years. He saw the effect unions had on other carriers like Northwest and Eastern. During that time, all legacy carriers participated in a coalition that paid a million dollars a month to whichever airline was on strike. He resented that agreement with all of his being, not because it hurt him, but because he thought it hurt Delta.

My airline career also began at a nonunion airline, Southern Airways, in Atlanta in 1974. Southern and Northern Central merged on July, 1979 to form Republic Airlines, and suddenly I was in the union. Overnight, my benefits improved, my working conditions improved and I got a raise. At that point, I began to question my father’s derision of unions. During this time, and until 1997, I was neither an avid supporter nor detractor of the union cause.

Past forward to 2007, I am in charge of organizing the Delta employees in Atlanta, the same group that I grew up with in my home town. Life plays strange jokes on all of us. This is not a joke, however. This country was literally built by unions. The rapidly disappearing middle class in this country was formed from unions. The eight—hour day, the five-day work week, sick time, vacations, child labor laws, all came from the union movement. Every single RIGHT you have as a worker today came from UNIONS.

I was born and raised in the Delta family, I am a Delta brat. The Delta family no longer exists, Richard Anderson has effectively killed it. The Delta "spirit" no longer exists, it died in bankruptcy. My Delta friends, the only thing left is you and your future. My story is your story and I know the only way to protect your future is through the UNION. Fill out your IAM Authorization Card today.

Gary G. Mobley


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LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR SENIORITY

Missouri Senators, Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Kit Bond, unhappy with the way TWA workers fared in the 2001 buyout by American, offered a little-noticed amendment to the Omnibus Spending Bill that brought back a regulation-era worker-protection policy. The law subjects mergers and buyouts to Sections 3 and 13 of the Civil Aeronautics Board's decision in the 1972 Allegheny-Mohawk merger.

The McCaskill-Bond Amendment requires just two of the labor protections: that "provisions shall be made for the integration of seniority lists in a fair and equitable manner" and that disputes over the seniority be submitted to binding arbitration. "Fair and equitable" cuts both ways, and many employees who face being bumped down in seniority will be unhappy with this turn of events.

This is why you need a union to negotiate your seniority rights. Why leave it to Delta management, who have already alluded to the fact that 3-1 seniority is "fair and equitable" for NWA workers. Can you imagine coming in to work one day and going from 9 years to 3 years, or from 30 years to 10 years? How about being bumped out of a station or going from days to afternoons? These are all real possibilities without a union. Without a legally-binding contract you would be at the mercy of what Delta thinks is "fair and equitable."

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A WORKING MAN’S PRAYER

Growing up less than rich is not a bad lifestyle. I was raised by parents of modest means who had many children and had to make tough decisions every day about how to spend their limited income.

We, as children in this wonderful family, didn't feel poor or even notice that we had limitations; we were happy and had parents who were there when we woke up and one of them was always home when we returned from our day of school; mainly my tough, magnificent mother. We were loved, taken care of and looked after, despite our middle class lifestyle.

Life was good. My parents made a decent living but also had to make hard decisions about where and what to spend their limited income on. They made the right decisions and also made modest deposits into savings and stock accounts that had a profound impact on our extended family’s future well being.

That was the America that I grew up in; a place that had challenges where families had to make sacrifices and hard decisions to continue on; but life ultimately had great rewards for those who persevered.

My Dad was an educator, a teacher, a coach of great success and later in life; a leader in the education field. He was a success story who understood hard work and sacrifice for the greater good. My Dad wore the same 3 suits to work for almost 30 years. My mom tended other teachers’ children to help make ends meet during the same time frame and made sure that her children knew responsibility and accountability.

My parents would sit at the dinner table for hours on end helping their 9 children with homework, despite my parent’s other endless responsibilities, happy to steer their off-spring to success.

On this Labor Day, I salute my parents for their endless love of their own family and their contribution to the greater good of our community and this great country. My parents were both union and management during their life span. They understood work and the relationship between workers and those in charge.

My Dad worked in education for nearly 4 decades and never missed a day of work; not for any reason. He went to work hours before he was obligated to and came home much later than required. He never complained. My Mother honored him by making sure that our family had a safety net of power and compassion always at the ready; day and night.

This was the America I was privileged to grow up in; this was my life. Hard work should mean something. Sacrifice should result in rewards that extend and enrich life. This is now my Father and Mother’s reward; to see the enormous sacrifices they made grow into the calming knowledge that their hard work had meaning and results; that the long days and nights of their existence would nurture a continuing generation of success and growth.

Shouldn't we all have that sure knowledge that what we sow we reap? I work this union fight because it is who I am. This is what Labor Day means to me. It can be our future; that we hand a decent legacy on to our children. Life goes on and we should all be enriched for our sacrifices and hard work. This is my working man’s prayer.

Bruce K. Church

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EQUITY DISTRIBUTION CHART

AFTER OUR MERGER IS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT BY JUSTICE AND WE HAVE BEEN DECLARED A ‘SINGLE CARRIER ENTITY’, DELTA HAS PROMISED TO DISTRIBUTE EQUITY SHARES IN THE WAY OF STOCK TO ALL EMPLOYEES. PLEASE REFER BELOW TO THE PROPOSED BREAKDOWN BY GROUP AND STANDING.

15% or 15 shares of the projected value of our combined airlines will be distributed to all employees. We won’t know what the actual value of the company will be because it will be based on the market value of the stock at that time so it is simpler to think in terms of shares instead of percentages. Remember how we got fooled into thinking we would get equal amounts of money as our pilots and managers received at profit sharing time? The 700 managers will receive 3.5 shares, the 11,000 pilots of our newly combined airline will get 5.88 shares and the rest of us; or 60,000 non-represented employees will divide up 4 shares. 1.62 shares will be held out for future employees; probably given to managers not yet named.

If the equity of the new Delta is 10 billion dollars then 15% or 15 shares worth 1.5 billion dollars will be divided up among the 70,000 employees of the new Delta according to the above stated percentages.

MANAGERS: The 700 managers will receive $350 million up front with $162 million held in reserve for future allocations, probably for them only. The top 7 executives will gobble up a large percentage of this allocation and receive millions upon millions of dollars. Why? Because they have contracts; the same kinds of contracts that they are trying to talk all of us out of having by believing their rhetoric about ‘direct relationships’ with management being more important than union representation.

PILOTS: The pilots of the new Delta will receive almost $600 million dollars if our equity is $10 billion at merger or ‘single carrier entity’ time. 11,000 pilots dividing up that amount; you can do the math on their excellent, upcoming payday. Why are they making out so well? They have a contract, negotiated by their union that provides them a blanket of security, pay and benefits that enhance life; the same kind of contract that the Delta Board Council and Delta management are telling all of us we don’t need.

UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES: The rest of us or the roughly 60,000 employees that Delta didn’t bother talking to during this merger process will receive only about $400 million dollars. Our payday will be based on a percentage of what we make and will most probably resemble, very closely what we got in the way of stock shares after leaving bankruptcy. We have described these modest payouts before; the equity distribution is nothing more than ‘go away and shut-up’ money. It is a pittance compared to the managers and pilots who have contracts.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS FROM ALLOCATIONS:

TOP 7 EXECUTIVES: Will be able to get that mansion in the Hamptons their spouses have always wanted.

PILOTS: They will have enough to buy a new car or pay their kid’s college tuitions; maybe a down payment of that summer home at the lake.

THE REST OF US? Hold the pickle; hold the lettuce. Two all beef patties on a sesame seed bun...for the whole family!

Really, isn’t it time to realize how badly we have been played by this whole process? Does any of this look fair to any of you? How long will we allow ourselves to be bought off by promises that never seem to materialize? Our future is not going to turn out well by our weak-kneed approach and those who rely on hope rather than action. These people in charge are living large off of our sweat; not their brilliance. Let’s stand up today before it’s too late.

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org

THE ANATOMY OF A WELL FORMED PLAN

The following is a fictional scenario that might well have taken place sometime ago in our recent past…The names have not been changed in order to identify the culprits!

August 21, 2007

Doug Steenland calling Richard Anderson: Congratulations on your landing the CEO post at Delta, jeez! My friend, how the hell did you pull it off? I thought for sure that Grinstein’s protégé, Jim Whitehurst, was a shoe-in for the job.

Richard Anderson: That snot nosed kid? He didn’t have a prayer! We blind-sided both of them; they didn’t see it coming. Man, what a couple of rookies. You would think that a 74 year old man would have smelled out our moves. Anyway Doug, our plan is still in play; we both declared bankruptcy the same day, we were able to shed millions of dollars off the backs of our employees by making them work for less. We both walked away from debt through the magic of the generous bankruptcy laws and you guys at Northwest, even though you have unions, were able to force lousy contracts onto your rank and file during bankruptcy. Too bad they were able to keep some of that stuff, but don’t worry, we’ll take the rest from them some day.

DS: I’ve got to hand it to you ‘Tricky Dick’, when you first hatched this cockamamie scheme all those years ago when we worked together at Northwest, I thought you and Gary Wilson had been smoking something funny again, and you know how you get with that stuff! I would have never thought we could actually arrive at a point where we could potentially put these two airlines together and do it with minimal union interference. How long should we wait until we declare a merger? You know there is going to be all kinds of speculation about what we are scheming to do?

RA: Cool your jets ‘Stingy Stee’; we don’t want to spook anyone. Let’s just let the rumors run up the value of our stock for awhile and deny everything; that ought to build some excitement and momentum for a big equity payoff like we got after we both exited bankruptcy. Man, what a brilliant plan; we got to collect equity when we individually left bankruptcy — then after we merge, we’ll have a second big score. This corporate life is a breeze if you play your cards right.

DS: You’re the Man, Dick! But aren’t you worried about the Justice Department or Congress? What if they find out what we’re up to? You know, all those nasty anti-trust laws and congressional hearings that the whiney unions will demand. How about the pilots? Won’t they scream bloody murder and demand stuff like their pensions returned and pay restored? It could get complicated.

RA: Good Lord! Hold yourself together. We’ll give the pilots what they want and take it out of the pockets of all the other workers like we always do. That’s how Delta has always done it. As far as Congress and the Justice Department are concerned, we really don’t have much to worry about there; hell they are in more trouble than we could ever dream up on our own. There is an election coming up and lawyers at Justice all got their law degrees off the backs of a cracker-jack boxes! Ha! Ha! Ha!

DS: This really could work! But, aren’t you worried about the other unions at Northwest; they aren’t going to take this lying down. Don’t they just have to talk enough Delta employees into signing union authorization cards and win a majority, combined vote? That shouldn’t be too tough for them. The flight attendants and ramp at Delta have been active since 2006, organizing and could present a problem.

RA: That’s in the bag oh worried one! We got friends at the National Mediation Board who are willing to throw a monkey wrench into that mix. Watch and be awed by the man who cut his teeth in this business learning from the beast of the airline world, Frank Lorenzo. Boy did he know how to increase personal wealth through the destruction of tens of thousands of workers’ lives. What a master! Anyway, I digress. There will never be a vote as long as this mediation board stays in place. They do our bidding and will fix the process for us.

DS: Looks like you have everything covered. Now if we could just do something about ALPA and the pilots.

RA: Working on that now oh lackey of mine! You know the Air Force is making great strides with pilotless drones…

DS: I wish I was you.

Today is the one year anniversary of Richard Anderson becoming CEO of Delta Air Lines. Congratulations Richard, we are watching you closely!

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WHAT YOU STAND TO GAIN WITH A UNION

Scope Language: The language in all IAM contracts clearly defines the intent of the agreement and specifies what the company can and cannot do with the work that we are employed to perform. Job security falls under the Scope provisions of a contract. This is how you protect your work. Only with the protection of a contract can you limit the ability of Delta Air Lines from just sending your work out the door.

Overtime by Equal Opportunity: Overtime is distributed as equally as reasonably possible among the employees using an overtime equalization method. You’re even entitled to a claim at the end of each year if you are not within a certain percentage of the average overtime opportunity hours. Many IAM contracts provide for overtime bypass pay on a daily basis. The Union makes it fair for everyone.

Holidays: The IAM has led the airline industry in Holidays observed and in Holiday pay. Even after bankruptcy, IAM represented employees enjoy superior Holiday benefits. Imagine seven paid Holidays…at double-time. It continues to exist in IAM contracts. Floating Holidays – used when you want? In IAM contracts Delta employees will have the power to define their Holiday pay and structure…beginning the day you vote for the IAM.

Trade Days Guaranteed with a Contract: No more favoritism and no more wondering if the rules will change. In an IAM contract you can bargain how trade days work, what the pay will be, who can trade with who – or even if there will be any restrictions.

Seniority That Means Something: There is a difference between the company owning your seniority and you owning your own seniority. You will get to vote on, and Delta will be required to comply with contract provisions outlining where you work, when you work and what area you work in; your pay, vacation and even your station location. Also, displacement rights are based upon seniority. Just because a particular station may “close” or downsize doesn’t mean you have to reapply for your job, you exercise your seniority to hold whatever is most desirable to you, based upon your seniority.

Accrued Sick Time: Under IAM contracts, employees accrue sick time each month, some with no maximum accrual. There are countless employees that have battled with a serious illness and continued to receive a paycheck because of their “sick bank” hours. They were able to keep their home, feed their family and pay all those bills, even when they were not well enough to work. Delta will not be able to change sick time on a whim.

Occupational Injury Leave (OJI): Something Delta employees deserve. When you get injured on the job you should have extra ‘insurance’ in the bank. IAM contracts typically contain this extra protection. The NWA members of the IAM have this benefit that accrues monthly with no maximum accrual.

Grievance Resolution Procedure: When there are disputes, discipline or complaints, IAM contracts provide a method of resolving those issues in a fair and equitable manner. There are specific step by step processes that address anything from a minor contract dispute to a termination of employment. Remember what that Delta HR states: “Just as all personnel may resign their employment with Delta at any time and for any reason they choose, Delta may terminate the employment relationship at any time if Delta concludes that such termination is appropriate.”

Pension: IAM members at every major carrier that experienced bankruptcy walked away with something no other employees got…a guaranteed, secure and growing pension. IAM represented employees at United, USAir, Hawaiian and Northwest joined thousands of other Union members in the IAM National Pension Fund. This extraordinary benefit is secure, protected by the Federal Government, 117% funded (over $9 Billion in assets), can’t be affected by the fortunes of an individual employer and best of all…it is paid for by contributions from the employer!

Representation: In the IAM, you vote on your representatives. You vote on your contracts. You have a voice in your future. You will always have someone to stand with you to enforce your rights. And, you will always have the peace of mind that the security only a contract can bring.

Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org

"UNIONS DIG IN FOR DELTA FIGHT"

Here we have a link to the aforementioned article published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, click here to read the entire story.

As Delta Air Lines works toward its proposed merger with Northwest Airlines, labor unions at the highly unionized Northwest are ramping up efforts to organize employees at the largely nonunion Delta.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents about 12,000 employees at Northwest, has opened an office in Atlanta across the street from Delta's headquarters for its ongoing campaig.........more

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LET US BEGIN WITH THE PAST

While performing a little research for our first post, we went back a few years and found several interesting comments that Delta ramp employees have made about being "unionized”. From all accounts, at present there appears to be very little interest of the employees that work for Delta "above the wing" in joining their Northwest counterparts as Union Members. It seems so odd that just a few years back, we could find and quote numerous Delta ramp employees who, behind the comfort and safety of their keyboard and monitor at least, were quite vocal in their desire to have Union Representation.

So we ask you, "Dept. 205" workers, can you look into the past, no matter how near or far it might be: regardless of whether you've been around for thirty years, or just three, how has being employed "at will" worked out for you? If you are not interested in the Union, we would really like to know what your objections are. Generally most folks keep an open mind about things. True, there are those that can be closed-minded; I'm not one of them. Facts, figures, true-to-life stories and any other arguments you wish to include that will convince us that we would be better off without a trade Union are what we would like to see. It will also give us the opportunity to provide some insight into why we think that sticking together as fellow Brothers and Sisters in a unionized environment is the best option for both of our collective groups of employees.

Whilst you are creating some sort of a response, whatever it may be, take a look at a few random statements cultivated from the past. Please note that they are in their original format, nothing has been altered or corrected. Possibly by looking behind us, we can all paint a picture of how things might come to be in the future.


"The only way to insure your job is to have someone in your corner! To be blunt Delta management does not care about the average employee at all, our stock is worthless, our pension is frozen, and now with an impending hostile take over our jobs are even more at risk. I just hope that the ramp employees around the system are finally smart enough to figure out that we as employees need strong representation! IAM is our only hope now, when you can't trust your Management, we must look elsewhere!"

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"Pretty sad, I didn't use to be an advocate for unions, but with each and every day that goes by seeing how Delta only cares about the bottom line and not the people who make Delta "DELTA", I grow fonder and fonder for the union. What other companies out there penalize you for getting hurt while making them great? Let's vote now!!!"

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"We need to OUTSOUCE THE LEADERSHIP IN SLC and keep the workers this lunacy of contracting out our best and brightest and let the light shine back on our real value, our own people. Let’s unionize and protect the assets we have left. Let’s band together and bring professionalism and proficiency back to our passengers and customers."

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"Management is going to contract us smaller stations out people!!!! What in the world is wrong with us? You cant see it coming? I dont want to move from my home. I want to retire here in the station I started out. I just want to retire and it looks like I might not make retirement because I know the are going to contract us out. They have lied to us before. Its like what another person commented on this blog....WE HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!"

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"First off!!
No matter what, with a union we would have a contract. What a contract means is Delta would have to stand behind their word.

As far as putting all your eggs in one basket goes: I should only have ONE job. No one said we want to be rich. Some people just want to work an honest day, and spend time with their families without having to worry about getting hurt or sick, or a family member getting sick. I don't know if you checked out the insurance, but I pray that none of us including you, have a major health problem.

We know that we were all chosen for work by some boss or another. I just think that after 15 to 30 years dedicated service we wouldn't be moving backwards. After all the years of loyalty, I think that we could be treated with a little respect. Of course we can take some cuts when times are lean. But without an ounce of negotiation, take, cut, take, cut.
I wonder what the insurance is going to look like next year?

We aren't greedy jerks wanting a bigger piece of the pie, I just want to eat the piece I was originally given.

I love loading planes. I care about our customers. I just want the cuts to stop. I just want Delta to stand behind what they tell us. I would just like to see something Delta says they are going to give us without a disclaimer at the bottom.

A union wouldn't hurt Delta, they would just have to stand behind what they agree to.

If you think we don't care about this company, well then your just as clueless as the narrow minded eggs in one basket guy."

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"If i didn't like my job or care about this company i would not care if we had a union or not.

But the truth is i do like my job and i like working for Delta but i don't feel that i am getting a fair deal alot of the time. With a union we would all be treated alot more fairly and get the respect we deserve from our upper management as opposed to being their source of places to cut back when things get tight.

Simply put i like what i do and who i do it for and i want a contract to see that me and my co-workers are given a fair shake."

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"Isn't it funny that when Delta farms out the ramp at all these cities, they have a CONTRACT with the scab companies. Huh?"

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