Delta Ramp Workers Organizing Committee

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

DELTA ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR “DENIED” MERGER

PROMISES MADE TO PROTECT SENIORITY???
COMMITMENTS, PROMISES AND POLICIES
VS. GUARANTEED CONTRACTS


Many of you have read the latest Deltanet memorandum concerning Delta’s plans for a “non-merger” with another carrier. How much more confusing can they be?

On the one hand they emphatically state “that we have no plans for a merger.” They follow that with a seemingly contradictory statement about wanting to be a “strong standalone airline so that, if and when there is industry consolidation, we are going to make sure we are in control of our future.”

Richard Anderson and Ed Bastian have asked the Board of Directors to put in writing, as company policy, seniority protection for non-union employees, should a merger actually take place. They want you to know that this has always been a “long-standing Delta promise”…and is going to be… “official Delta corporate policy.”

Wow! How reassuring. They have now made very strongly worded commitments and promises that are and have always been “official company policy.” That should put to rest all of our worries. In the rest of the world one needs a contract to guarantee seniority rights, but apparently a promise and a hand shake should cover the worry of Delta employees.

Oh sure, they turned out to be less than truthful about the farm-out of ramp cities, even after Vicki Escarra (not once but twice) promised that the process was over back in 1998. We were promised a pension, but somehow that all came crashing down during bankruptcy. Retirees had their medical benefits slashed without any warning. We were even led to believe in the “Delta family”; you know — how family members were special and didn’t need a union to maintain a middle class lifestyle. So much for a promise and a hand shake.

Yes, we have all heard the promises and commitments before. They are meaningless without a contract. Would our new CEO, Mr. Anderson, bet his future on the policy and commitment of Delta Air Lines? No, he has an employment contract. We deserve no less!

Mergers are a messy affair. The senior management of Delta can make all the policy statements and promises they want. The Board of Directors can say that they will not consummate any merger that does not guarantee the seniority rights of Delta employees, but don’t be fooled by platitudes and hollow statements. Contracts trump promises and we don’t as yet have a guaranteed contract. Most other ramp employees do.

Policies, commitments and promises belong to the company — a contract, with all of its security, belongs to us.

Why not take away the worries that might arise through a merger between Delta and a union represented carrier. Securing a contract through IAM now is the easiest way to ensure your seniority rights in the future. Not promises or policy statements.