DELTA TESTIFIES AGAINST EMPLOYEES

DELTA ONLY CARRIER TO VOICE NMB RULE CHANGE OPPOSITION


Many airlines have looming union election battles to face in the very near future yet all airlines except Delta stayed away from the December 7th hearings held by the National Mediation Board (NMB). How could that be and what would be the motivation for Delta to seemingly stand alone to fight against their own employees’ wishes and rights to unionize?

All other carriers seem to better understand the Railway Labor Act and the specific sections within the law that adamantly restrict carriers from interfering with their own employees’ right to organize into a union if a majority so choose.

Under section 152 of the RLA it stipulates; ….No carrier, its officers, or agents shall deny or in any way question the right of its employees to join, organize, or assist in organizing the labor organization of their choice, and it shall be unlawful for any carrier to interfere in any way with the organization of its employees,…..

This section of the RLA act seems clear and could be an indication as to why only Delta chose to attend the hearings held by the NMB and have their surrogates and Trade entity allies join them in voicing opposition to the voting rule change. Further in section 151a under General purposes, the RLA states:

…to forbid any limitation upon freedom of association among employees or any denial, as condition of employment or otherwise, of the right of employees to join a labor organization, (3) to provide for the complete independence of carriers and of employees in the matter of self-organization….

We don’t question Delta management’s right to have voiced an opinion to the NMB about the pending rule change on union vote counting but we do question the tactics and attempted workplace intimidation that they have employed throughout the Delta system to discourage, curtail and ultimately thwart union activity among the employee groups.

Their tactics are completely unlawful if the sections quoted above are to be followed and adhered to. Many supervisors are still having loud conversations against unionization and they are constantly throwing union literature into the garbage in break facilities during break times almost as soon as the material is passed out.

Potential candidates for promotion have been asked about their views on unionization and told that “you are either with us or against us” and having a view that is union neutral or friendly will preclude any consideration for advancement at Delta. These are clear violations of the RLA and must be discontinued and reported.

The decision to unionize or not join a union should be undertaken by the employees themselves. The company is NOT supposed to take an active role in the debate. Using the company Internet, the Delta Net to campaign and disseminate one-sided information concerning this process is at best propagandist and at worst, illegal.

We call on Delta to stand back and allow their employees to make this monumental decision independently of coercion from management or at least, supply the Delta Net to employees who have a union leaning view. This access should be uncensored and unaltered.

We ask Delta Air Lines to simply follow their own principles on union representation. We quote: “We encourage all Delta and Northwest people to have an open mind and get the facts before forming an opinion on an issue that will profoundly affect their future career.” ALL THE FACTS!