PRODUCT NOT PACKAGING!

DELTA’S MANAGEMENT FOCUS IS STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE
EUPHEMISMS ARE DESIGNED TO FOOL THOSE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

Politicians of all strips are often guilty of masking a bad idea with a good slogan. We as a nation are seemingly enamored with a catchy phrase and rally around inspirational slogans.

A truly bad idea can often times be run right down the middle of America if the name of the ‘product’ being sold to the public is strong enough or has dazzle and roles off the tongue with pizzazz and style.

Who can argue with a military campaign called “Operation Just Cause” or question a military strike using phrases such as “smart bombs” or “precision bombing.” We all know that the world is just a bit more complex than the simple descriptive vernacular that the worlds’ various militaries might use or governments might decide to engage in.

Can you image what might have happened to the popular support of our last war had the politicians or generals decided to name the campaign “Operation Never Ending” or “Engagement Poorly Planned?”

We in the union campaign are often accused of being the purveyors of bad news or gloom and doom by our detractors who call us names because we don’t rally around Delta’s management team and support the ‘product’ by being loyal to those who do the ‘packaging.’

We take issue with that description of our efforts and want all Delta employees to know that we support our management team when they have good ideas and include all of us in the successful implementation of their plans. We happen to believe that a well compensated and adequately benefited employee makes for a dedicated and loyal ‘soldier’ in our battle to compete with the other carriers. We know that union employees all around the airline world are partners in the process of providing a product that flyers and customers are willing and glad to buy.

We cringe when our management team uses slogans and euphemisms to mask an ever increasing inferior product and only question them when they don’t tell the truth about the value unions have provided carriers and passengers over the years in the airline world.

It’s just a simple fact that the more you take care of your employee the more likely your customer will be happy. Again, Southwest is a gleaming and shining example of the ‘product’ matching the ‘packaging.’ Their passengers know what is being offered and they are hardly ever disappointed in the final result.

When Delta tells its employees to give our “unique culture” a try for a year without the ‘burden’ of unions getting in the way of a “direct relationship” between management and employees, this is the worst example of bad packaging masking the truth. No union has ever stopped a single employee from approaching any manager with a request or question.

The truth is that Delta wants a direct relationship without unions so that they can change, alter or amend downward our benefits and pay as they see fit without interference or answering to anyone. Did we mention also to be able to terminate our relationship with the company without cause on a moment’s notice? That is the ‘unique relationship’ that Delta wants to maintain with you. Let’s don’t let them fool us with catchy slogans and phrases; let’s unionize and by doing so, strengthen our airline with measurable results not meaningless words!