MYTHS, LIES AND MISCONCEPTIONS


As this union campaign continues on, there are many questions and concerns that have come up that need to be addressed. Some of you have voiced concerns about time clocks, initiation fees and potential, rigid work rules that might occur should we vote in a union. You should know that in all the contractual negotiations IAM has had with airlines, the subject of time clocks has never been brought up. Should we vote in the union, initiation fees will be waived. Work rules will be voted and agreed upon by us, the new members of IAM.

Recently I was approached by a supervisor and was asked why I was no longer loyal to Delta Air Lines. She insinuated that my union activity was doing great damage to the airline. I wondered at the time if she had any real concept of what Delta actually was. Management teams come and go. They are generally here for a short time, collect whatever money they can extract and we the employees are left to ride out the wave of financial destruction they leave behind. The only constant is us and our loyal passenger base. We are the meat and potatoes of this airline. Our focus, as long time employees, has always been on the customer, that’s where our money comes from and our future success is dependant upon. I sometimes wonder if certain management types have lost touch with that all important fact.

My fellow ramp workers around the country and especially in Atlanta, don’t be fooled by sophomoric posters that extol the “evils” and financial “burdens” of union membership. I haven’t paid any union dues in over 20 years and the last time I checked I still didn’t own a Florida condo.

One must really compare our situation, as a bankrupt carrier with the plight of other carriers who went bankrupt but had the fortune of union membership. Compare what they were able to keep, through negotiation, to what we lost without a voice standing with us. In every situation, we come out on the bottom, (pensions, sick time, medical premiums, and wages).

Over the last 3 years, we have lost more than 120 cities that had ramp workers, while Northwest, through contractual negotiations, was able to keep 90% of their cities. We only have 14 cities left with Delta ramp workers. Don’t be lulled into the false feeling of safety just because you reside in a major hub such as Atlanta or SLC. The writing is on the wall and it’s only a matter of time before the hatchet man comes visiting you. They are slick, they will tell you that your position is safe, all the while; they are paring down your staffing, department by department. Just ask people who have already gone through the destruction of their own cities, it’s not a pleasant subject, or an honest endeavor on our company’s part.

Now, with a hostile takeover looming, our situation is even more precarious. Do you really think that a button (“keep Delta my Delta”) on your chest is going to slow down our creditors’ insatiable appetite to be reimbursed? In the event of a takeover what do you think is going to happen to the close proximity hubs when the carriers merge?

Do you actually think that someone with a contract and less seniority is going to be nice and give up his job to you? Let’s end the speculation and worry and protect ourselves by voting in the IAM, getting a contract and standing tall in the knowledge that we have an advocate on our side. Don’t be afraid and stop listening to the distortions of the real “short timers,” upper management.

Delta Ramp Organizing Committee
www.goiamnow.org
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