Q & A
Questions and Answers 26 - 27
Question 26: If federal regulators approve a merger with Delta Air Lines, are we still bound to the pay concessions sanctioned by the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts until 2011?
Answer: Management has indicated that if the merger with Delta goes forward we will remain entirely separate workforces for a significant period of time while the details are put in place. If the Delta flight attendants win their union representation election in the meantime (the vote count will begin at 1400 EDT May 28) we can then immediately start to negotiate for improvements in one combined contract.
If Delta flight attendants lose their representation election, there will be another election for the combined Delta/Northwest workgroup when the National Mediation Board (NMB) determines that the merger has taken effect and created a “single transportation system.” That NMB determination is unlikely to occur until early 2009, the current expectation for combining operations according to NW/DL executives. If we win that second election, we would immediately begin to negotiate for improvements in one combined contract.
If we lose both elections, we will lose our union representation and our contract, and it will be up to Delta management to decide our pay and workrules. With no contract to follow and no collective bargaining rights, bankruptcy era concessions could stay in place well beyond 2011, and we would have no legal right to negotiate improvements.
The first line of defense in protecting our contract and our bargaining rights is to eliminate the risk of losing our union at Northwest. It is in our best interest to organize Delta flight attendants to preserve our 60-year history of union representation at NWA. Delta flight attendants deserve a seat at the table as well. Offer to help Delta flight attendants in their fight to win representation for the first time in Delta history. Volunteer at a Get-Out-The-Vote call center during the Delta AFA-CWA representation election — it’s the easiest way to show our support, and winning this election is the best case scenario moving into this merger. Contact flight attendant activists for more information at: . Call centers open on April 23 in ATL, CVG, DCA, DFW, FLL, LAX, NYC, PDX and SLC.
Question 27: If DL votes in AFA, how soon can we start negotiating a new contract?
Answer: Immediately. As described above, if AFA-CWA wins the Delta election we would start negotiations for a contract covering the combined flight attendant workforce. We’ll be seeking improvements in pay and workrules and will take advantage of the merger to renegotiate our contract. But, first things first: we won’t have an opportunity to negotiate unless we help the Delta flight attendants win their representation election, or, if necessary, we win an election for the combined workforce when the merger goes forward. The sooner we get to the bargaining table the better; we want to get an early start on our negotiations, so we need to make sure AFA-CWA wins representation rights for the combined group.
Our AFA-CWA leaders, negotiators and attorneys are prepared to fight to restore what was lost in the bankruptcy era. We can participate in this fight by helping to bring Delta flight attendants the strength of the world’s largest flight attendant union as we join forces together at the world’s largest airline.
Posted by Communications on 04/17 at 07:13 PM