Executive Compensation
Who Cares?

This blogspot has raised the issue of Delta executive compensation several times in the past. We have called attention to the fact that Ed Bastian’s compensation jumped from $443,369 in 2006 to $10,298,340 in 2007. We have told the story of Richard Anderson’s $11,296,759 salary for the last 4 months of 2007. By the way this is more than 900 times the wages of the average topped out Delta employee for the same period. We have reported on the 398,560 shares of Delta stock given to Anderson in January, in the middle of the greatest economic crisis in over 70 years.

To all of this, some of the Delta employees who are against unionization have said on this blog – “Who cares?”

On one level we all agree with that. The average Delta employee might say, “As long as I can make a decent living, have good health insurance, a secure retirement and own a house, who cares how much Richard Anderson makes? If I get a good vacation each year and what I have is not taken from me, then party on, Richard Anderson.”

But, nearly all of us sense that at Delta, like the United States in general, there is a double standard being applied. Middle class Americans hate double standards. The Dallas News reported on Wednesday on a demonstration by hundreds of American Airlines baggage handlers in front of American’s corporate headquarters. It seems they are upset because they have given millions in concessions to keep the airline afloat while executives collect stock payments. At the same time American is refusing to give baggage handlers a decent contract.

Fred Harris, a long time baggage handler attending the rally told the Dallas News, “If they want dedication, if they want sacrifice from us, then we expect the same from them.” Even anti union Delta employees must know in their hearts that we are all paying for the party at AIG, US Bank, Wall Street and Delta. And that’s why, as dedicated Delta employees, we care.

Our Voice…Our Delta…Our Future…Vote IAM