THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONTRACT

DELTA PROMISES CARRY NO LEGAL WEIGHT
SENIORITY PROTECTION CUTS BOTHS WAYS


Many people are talking about the ‘what ifs’ to come with the probable airline mergers or acquisitions. While it makes for interesting dialogue, it really is more important to focus on facts and actual outcomes of any consolidation.

Some have real job protection and some don’t. We at Delta airlines have certainly faced mergers and significant job reductions. Many of us remember the disasters and hardships of the job losses of the 7.5 days and the more recent and continual farm-out of stations across the Delta system.

In the past (and even today), Delta has made up the rules we’ve had to follow when they decided to eliminate our jobs. They would pick and choose where a job opening might be or if there even would be any job openings. Maybe you had a place to go…maybe you didn’t.

Promises, commitments and policies are absolutely meaningless and without legal weight. Delta can and has done just about what they please with regards to seniority, manpower movement and so-called protections in the past because we have had no contract.

Had we a contract in those days, everything would have been spelled out and all rights explained and protected. Employees would have been able to use bumping rights and moving expenses would have been paid. With a contract, seniority would be sacrosanct and we would have had the power of a union to resolve disputes.

In stark contrast, the employees of United, Northwest, Southwest, USAirways and more who have a union have guaranteed protections in many different layers. First and most important, unlike Delta those airlines cannot simply close a station to their own employees. As long as they operate in a city, they have to keep their union represented employees working there. It took BANKRUPTCY in order for any of those airlines to change that, and even then they had to negotiate with the union. That process saved many stations and now those employees are protected again under the contracts.

Second, those other employees are protected by their contracts with the method and order of ‘bumping’ and use of seniority clearly spelled out when their airlines stop operating in a city or there is a reduction in force. Unlike Delta, these other airlines can’t just do whatever they want to their employees.

Without doubt, any upcoming merger will be designed to save money and probably cut jobs. Ask yourself, do you honestly think that Delta (or whoever the survivor is) will place protecting your job over getting the deal done? The union represented employees have a seat at that table – we don’t. The company must work a solution through those other represented employees. On the other hand, they can simply just dictate what will happen to us. We must change that if we want to be part of the consolidating airline future.

Let’s stop believing in the half-truths and begin to protect ourselves by signing union authorization cards. No one knows what might take place in the future or how long any possible merger takes to come to fruition. IAM is here and ready to represent us. Let’s get on board and really protect our rights and seniority through the benefits of a legally binding contract.