Carrot/Stick Theory Appeals to DL Management February 4 — With serendipitous timing, Delta's Richard Anderson (through his Inflight mouthpiece Joanne Smith) announced a 5% raise for non-contract PMDL employees on the very day that the National Mediation Board was expected to issue its decision regarding proposed representation election policy changes — even when the pay increase is not to take place until October 2010.
Dangling carrot tactics like this are common prior to union elections at Delta Air Lines but we refuse to take the bait.
Council 98 welcomes improvements to PMDL FA compensation to close the wide gap in pay and benefits they receive from our employer. However, we question the sincerity of Joanne's promise to "honor" all contracts currently in place at DL. If management were true to its word, Joanne et al. would discontinue talk of violating our Scope agreement by integrating flying before representation is resolved.
Fairness should be part of the package for all flight attendants. Let's see how quickly Delta's promise is broken after an election.
Heightened Crew Security Screenings Following Bombing Attempts
December 27 – Terrorist attempts this week have resulted in increased security measures at the world's airports, including possible secondary crew screenings at LAX. Crews should be prepared for delays at Terminal 5 security and cooperate fully with TSA directives during screening. Allow ample time to arrive at Inflight Services prior to check in.
We are working closely with DL Inflight and Corporate Security to ensure working crewmembers still receive priority – and management support – in getting to aircraft without delay.
Please stay alert to security changes, available only on password-protected pages of DeltaNet and ATLAS. EAP representatives are available to discuss fear of flying provisions with flight attendants. See our EAP page for more information.
 AFA VICTORY ON CAPITOL HILL: Senate Approves FMLA Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act
December 2 – Following countless hours of lobbying by AFA-CWA activists, the Senate has approved a correction to the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act that will finally permit flight attendants to take full advantage of federal legislation meant to improve the lives of working families.
FMLA legislation previously excluded flight crews from reaching the total annual work hours that would require our employers to provide leaves. Thanks to AFA-CWA members nationwide, the House and Senate were moved to approve the Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, which will finally mandate FMLA for flight attendants – taking it off the potential negotiations chopping block in uncertain economic times.
Our union strives to put legislation in place that will prevent us from having to negotiate what should be our common rights as taxpayers. With this victory, we have taken another step toward that goal. THANK YOU TO OUR OUTGOING MEC GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CHAIR, ALBERT GARCIA, for making this his special project during his term.
 2010 SLIP Leaves Awarded
Special
Leave Incentive Program (SLIP) leaves have been processed.
SLIP participants may apply for CA State Unemployment Insurance Benefits
during leave. Company-subsidized medical/dental/life and Long-Term
Disability (LTD) benefits are available if COBRA paperwork is
completed. Pass travel allowed on NW, Compass, Mesaba, Pinnacle,
Delta and Delta Connection (SkyWest, etc.); no jumpseat travel or off-line benefits.
Please keep in touch with union officers during leave and visit the MEC website often. We anticipate an increase in visibility efforts throughout the system in advance of our representation election.
 Grievance Settlement to Provide
Designated "OPR Only" Facilities at LAX
November 8 – MEC Grievance Committee Chair Greg Riffle announced a conditional settlement of the On-Premise Reserve system-wide grievance which will provide a dedicated rest area for OPRs at Terminal 5 by January 2010. Insufficient OPR facilities at LAX, LGA, DTW, JFK and MEM initiated the grievance, which is now considered "conditionally settled," meaning the MEC reserves the right to revisit this settlement should the company attempt to change/eliminate OPR areas in the future.
Thanks to those RSVs who called and emailed LEC President Les Meeks with concerns about current OPR facilities! Your input was invaluable.
 AFA Leaders Withdraw STS Petition, Protect Delta FAs Against
Voter Suppression Tactics
November 3 – Over the past
week, National Mediation Board officials have announced upcoming
changes which would finally provide majority rule representation in the
transportation industry. To take full advantage of fair
election processes for Delta flight attendants, our MEC has unanimously
chosen to withdraw its petition for Single Transportation Status – which
would have triggered a representation election – and will re-apply
following the 60-day public comment period.
The
Board's rulemaking decision is still pending, but should the rules be upgraded to prevent negative voter intent from being assigned to non-voters,
Delta flight attendants will have the opportunity to vote freely,
without interference from Delta executives, whose opposition to the democratic
process has been noted ad
nauseum in Delta Daily and Inflight Services missives.
If you
have questions about NMB voting procedures or the timeline for our upcoming election, please don't hesitate to contact local officers at the emails
and phone numbers listed on our LEC 98 Contacts page at left.
Atlanta Public Leaders Support Representation October 6 – Flight attendants and community leaders met in Atlanta to discuss workplace fairness. Emotional testimony from pre-merger Delta and Northwest flight attendants prompted these pronouncements by state and religious leaders:
"You are on the right side of history … and we are in the moment where … we are going to win this struggle." –– Georgia State Senator Nan Orrock
"While we acknowledge [Delta's] central role in this region's economy … the Delta of today ain't the Delta of yesterday." –– Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort
"Anytime that the people's will to organize begins to raise its head, there are those in power who seek to create this culture of fear and intimidation." –– Reverend Timothy McDonald, III
Please visit the "Video Gallery" page for more of this outpouring of support from the Atlanta area.
Understanding "Democracy" in RLA Representation Elections
October 2 – "Fair and balanced" information on DeltaNet has come out in opposition to panel review of the National Mediation Board's representation manual – the document governing union elections under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) – as requested by the Transportation Trades Department (TTD). In addition, DL executives have received senators' support in GA, UT, OH and TN, states whose Republican leaders have consistently and publicly opposed democracy in airline union elections.
Days after the NMB received the TTD's letter urging a review and change to its representation election manual, the Board appointed an independent panel "to examine the internal functions, policies and procedures of the NMB and … to report to the Board its updated recommendations for agency improvement." (NMB Press Release, September 11, 2009.)
The excerpt below from a Wall Street Journal article (AFL-CIO, Delta at Odds Over Unionization Rule, October 2, 2009) clearly describes the procedural disparity between true democratic elections and those conducted for representation at U.S. airlines.
"The dispute began when the AFL-CIO filed a request with the Mediation Board on Sept. 2 asking for changes in how union votes are counted under the RLA. Under the current interpretation, any employees who don't vote on whether to create a union are counted as "no" votes, meaning a union can't be approved without a full majority of all employees voting in favor of it.
Most other companies fall under the National Labor Relations Act. Under that law, a union can be created as long as a majority of all votes cast are in favor of collective bargaining. (Nonvotes don't count either way.) The AFL-CIO asked the mediation board to adopt the same, more relaxed rules as applied under the national labor-relations law.
"We are trying to eliminate one of the most undemocratic principles used in the entire country," said Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department and its 32 affiliated unions."
Our members are encouraged to read this article in its entirety and remain engaged in this debate. According to the NMB's website, the independent panel's recommendations will be reviewed upon receipt, expected November 1, 2009.
Important Information for FMLA Users
October 1 – When Delta Air Lines began administration of Northwest flight attendant Family Medical Leave Act submissions, Sedgwick Claim Management Services became accountable for all paperwork. This outsourced company – and Delta – failed to provide the correct fax number for the flight attendant group on FMLA forms available on DeltaNet, resulting in considerable confusion and delay for members applying for contractually negotiated FMLA.
To initiate a new FMLA request request within 2 business days of an unexpected leave, please call 877-67-DELTA. When downloading forms from DeltaNet, please disregard the current fax number and use: 800-922-8914 . Delta and Sedgwick are working to correct the online forms. Thanks to Robert Cannatelli, BOS Council 92 President, for bringing this to Delta's attention.
Letters of Agreement 39 Thru 41 Signed – MEC Approves Split Lines, CRAF Flying, Base Transfer Contract ImprovementsSeptember 4 – Continuous negotiations are an important part of daily union work, and our elected MEC is providing improvements to language already included in our legally binding contract. In the Split Line negotiations, union leaders, our Negotiations Committee and AFA staff attorneys worked to create ways to prevent the company from resorting to involuntary furloughs of flight attendants by collaborating with NW/DL executives to protect jobs.
For more information on these contract changes, and to download a copy to print and insert in your contract, please follow these links:
Base Transfers – Letter of Agreement 39
AMC/CRAF – Letter of Agreement 40
Split Lines – Letter of Agreement 41
"The Bistro" Provides Room for Visibility, Discussion
August 14 & 15 – Flight attendant activists from pre-merger Delta and Northwest manned (and womanned!) a table at the Terminal 5 LAX lounge in "the Bistro," answering questions about AFA representation and our union's current efforts to enact legislation regarding cell phone usage in flight, universal carry-on baggage restrictions and FMLA fairness.
Visibility efforts like these will be scheduled in full force over the next several months. If you can lend a few minutes or hours before or after a trip, or would like to otherwise be a part of this exciting chance to meet Delta flight attendants in our new Terminal 5 home, please contact afacalifornia@gmail.com. A Delta or Northwest activist will let you know how you can help!
Pictured at right: CA Regional Coordinator Toni Weinfurtner (DL), Council 94 member and DTW commuter Michael Makaron, CA State Chair Denise Corsello (DL)
CLICK HERE for more photos!
 AFA Fights to Preserve U.S. Jobs,
Protect Against Prohibited Cabotage
August 11 – Protecting jobs and our work has always been the top priority of AFA-CWA. In this challenging environment, we have been especially vigilant on the issue of cabotage and the attempts by the former administration to allow foreign carriers to carry passengers on domestic U.S. routes.
Early this year, we enlisted the assistance of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) to engage the new administration on a troubling discovery that Air Canada was providing charter service for a U.S.-based hockey team. Just last week, AFA learned from flight attendant leaders at Miami International Airlines that Air Canada had secured another contract, this time to transport a U.S.-based professional basketball team.
In meetings with Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, aviation union leaders voiced strong opposition to allowing Air Canada to continue in what we considered a clear violation of our cabotage laws. We could not allow Air Canada to essentially establish their charters as practice and set a course for potentially more instances of cabotage.
Thanks to these efforts and the perseverance of TTD, we have produced positive results today. Click here for a letter from the Assistant General Counsel for International Law at the DOT to Air Canada's law firm advising the carrier that it should not engage in attempting to secure any future contracts and should take steps to cancel current contracts.
We will continue our vigilance when our cabotage laws – and, most importantly, our jobs – are threatened.
Delta Announces Further Fall Capacity CutsJune 11 – Speaking in front of investors today, Delta CEO Richard Anderson announced further capacity reductions in both international and domestic flying planned for September. The internal memo sent to employees after the investor conference can be read here.
MEC President Janette Rook was briefed on expected ramifications for the flight attendant group, including but not limited to CCLs, SLIPs and negotiation of Split Lines. Our MEC will exercise all available options in our contract to prevent displacement and furloughs. The MEC will continue meeting with company officials and update the membership as more information becomes available.
Westlake Village Merger Mixer a Huge Success
 May 7 – Flight attendants and AFA-CWA activists attended a merger mixer in Westlake Village where invited guests from AFA International discussed benefit differences at Delta and Northwest as well as the progress of our organizing campaign.
AFA Senior Benefits Attorney Mary Lou Savage traveled from D.C. with AFA International Vice President Veda Shook (who picked up a turn at her own Alaska Airlines while out in California!) to answer questions from attendees and encourage us to participate in the campaign as Visibility and Phone Info Reps.
Also on hand were volunteers from CWA, Northwest, United, Delta and our MEC Member Engagement Chair, Angie Wood, who all took a break from phone banking at the CWA District 9 headquarters in Santa Fe Springs to join us at the mixer. Angie and Regional Campaign Coordinator Toni Weinfurtner gave an update on the overwhelming support we're receiving from California flight attendants at DL and NW.
Great thanks to our host Patty Pomeroy for offering her lovely home for this event, and to Andrew Southerland, Barbara O'Donnell, Rona Johnston, Ramona Ketcham, Ana Rasmussen, Maureen Vieck, Debra Main and SFO Council 97's Neil Cabael for chipping in with treats. If you'd like to volunteer to host a future merger mixer in your neighborhood, contact a local officer using the information on our "LEC 98 Contacts" page at left.
In photo, left to right: Toni Weinfurtner (DAL), Janine Munson (CWA), Shriver Lenox (UAL), Debra Main (NWA), John Dugan (CWA), Veda Shook (ALA), Kaki Androsiuk (NWA C98 VP). Click on the "Photo/Video Gallery" page to see more.
Helpful On-Premise Reserve Tips from
MEC RSV Committee
May 1 – MEC Reserve Chair Karen Jay developed a one-page primer in advance of the June 1 start date for On-Premise Reserve duty. Please print several copies to distribute to your flying partners. Questions? Contact Karen at kjay@nwaafa.org.
Delta ALPA Resolves to Support Flight Attendant Representation
ALPA has a long, proud history of supporting other unionized groups at carriers worldwide. Thanks to coalition-building by AFA Councils – especially those in DTW and MEM – this resolution was passed unanimously by all DL ALPA Local leadership in support of our desire to protect the combined group of DL and NW flight attendants at the new Delta through AFA representation.
We thank ALPA for its support during our fight to remain unionized at Delta, and for its continued partnership in our future at the world's largest airline.
Company Announces SLIP Awards for 2009Special Leave Incentive Program (SLIP) leaves have been awarded to 619 flight attendants. Los Angeles flight attendants received 41 awards of 12, 9 and 6 months duration, subject to company need.
SLIP participants may apply for CA State Unemployment Insurance Benefits during leave. Company-subsidized medical/dental/life and Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefits are available if COBRA paperwork is completed. Pass travel allowed on NW, Compass, Mesaba, Pinnacle, Delta; no jumpseat travel or off-line benefits.
These leaves were offered in lieu of junior employees being
subject to layoff. Company memos indicate these leaves will satisfy over-staffing concerns through the summer of 2009, with ongoing reassessments expected until the end of the year.
We thank our SLIP leave participants for their help in preventing furloughs.
Thanks For Being There!
In San Diego, left to right: Corinne McColl (NW-NYC); Samantha Maglio (NW-MSP); Cheryl Broadhead (DL-Retired); our hostess Mary Ann Ehman (NW-LAX); Mary Lou Savage (AFA Sr. Benefits Atty.); Emmy Croskery (DL-NYC); Lynn Miller-Wuatelet (NW-LAX); Kimberly Moller (NW-LAX); Teri Lacy (NW-LAX); Betsy Kline (NW-LAX); Jeannie Holmes (NW-LAX); Toni Weinfurtner (DL-SAS/CA State Chair); Les Meeks (NW-LAX/Council 98 President); Michelle Weimann (NW-LAX); Vicki Bateman (NW-NYC); Donna Kane (NW-LAX); Elisabeth Joyce (NW-LAX/Council 98 Secretary)
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