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


Learn more by visiting: www.goiamnow.org