Ready Reserve Notes

Fact #1 – This program is growing rapidly, as Delta seeks to improve their financial performance on the backs of Ready Reserve workers. Here is what Delta’s Vice President of ACS Stations, Carol Zupancic, said in a March 4, 2010 F.I.T. conference call. “We have grown over the last 18 to 24 months to over 3,000 Ready Reserve when before that we have had less than one third of that.”

Fact #2 – Without union representation Ready Reserve will continue to grow. Zupancic says in the same conference call, “We’re moving toward managing with hours and I think that will give the station managers a lot more flexibility to manage the operation.” What she means by this is Delta will give station managers the ability to staff with as many Ready Reserve as they want, as long as they cover the hours needed for station operations. Without a union contract that specifies percentages of part time and full time workers that can be used, the Company is free to do what they want.

Fact #3 – In recently insourced Delta stations the Company is utilizing large percentages of Ready Reserve workers, according to IAM members in those stations. These employees, who have no health benefits and accrue no seniority, vacation, sick, OJI or pension, are cheaper to employ than outsourced workers. That is why Delta is opening up a number of stations. Delta also hopes these increased numbers will affect the union representation election in their favor.

Fact #4 – Ready Reserve’s primary function is to provide the absolute cheapest labor available, not to manage peaks and valleys of operations. Listen again to what Zupancic had to say. “In ATL flights are going in and out of gates all day long. There really is no such thing as peaks and valleys that you would have in other locations.” This means from an operational standpoint nearly all ramp jobs in ATL could be full time benefited positions. Yet Delta employs over 1,000 Ready Reserves in ATL because of their desire for the cheapest labor possible.

Fact #5 – The Ready Reserve Program is bad for all workers at Delta, whether full time, part time or Ready Reserve. Unquestionably, Ready Reserve creates a revolving door workplace. This destabilizes the job. That’s not good for business. In a customer service industry like ours, we believe the passenger benefits when employees are invested in their jobs and see the possibility of a long career.

Fact #6 – Pro union workers are not against Ready Reserve workers. We are against a category of worker that receives no benefits and no seniority for the time they put in. When the IAM wins the election we will negotiate to make sure the only difference between Ready Reserves and other employees is the number of hours worked. Whether a Ready Reserve worker is some one waiting for a permanent position or a firefighter who wants a second job, they deserve seniority, sick pay, OJI pay, vacation accruals and a pension.

Fact #7 – Delta is moving quickly to WalMartize our industry. That’s not good for anybody, except shortsighted executives who aim to line their pockets. This process can be stopped, but only with a union contract.

For more information visit www.iam4delta.org