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DELTA AFA REPRESENTATIONAL ELECTION

Beginning on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Delta Air Lines Flight Attendants-more than 13,000 strong- will have the chance to vote for the Association of Flight Attendants to be their collective bargaining representative. The polls will close on May 28, 2008 at 2 p.m.

Delta Flight Attendants have never been represented by a union and instead have relied on the good graces of Delta Air Lines management to protect their job security, pay rates, work rules and benefits. For a while, it worked out well for Flight Attendants employed by Delta Air Lines.

In today’s airline industry environment, it is impossible to imagine airline management, at any airline, would continue to bestow the previous goodwill and sharing of the wealth with their employees. Airline management would, if left unchecked, cut pay and benefits with the stroke of a pen. A mere memo from the CEO could, and would, erase all the good will that may have been built up over the years-and along with it all of the pay, benefits and work rules.

During the post 9-11 bankruptcy era, management used industry conditions and the courts to gut our contracts. Management, knowing they had to bargain for contract changes, proposed terms that were far more onerous than AFA would accept. In the most difficult of times, and under the most intense pressure ever faced, AFA successfully fought off the will of management and negotiated terms that substantially reduced the concessions management had proposed.

For example, during the 2004 bankruptcy negotiations, US Airways management proposed an across the board 15% pay cut, elimination of the flying options, a 90 hour max for all Flight Attendants and a top out vacation accrual of 21 days. Even while in bankruptcy court, the AFA was able to negotiate, among other provisions, an 8.5% pay cut, higher vacation accruals and the ETB. Absent a contract and AFA-CWA representation your memo from the CEO would have showed up on your doorstep and that would have been that.

Our job at that time was to preserve as much as we could and live to fight another day- that day is now.

It is vitally important for all of us to realize that broadening the reach of AFA is in all of our best interest. As this industry evolves, the role of collective bargaining will only be more important-you can’t rely on management to “do the right thing”.

Now that the merger between Delta and Northwest has been announced, the stakes are even more critical-not just for Delta and Northwest but for all of us.

Airline management would love to live in a non-unionized world-not just Delta management, but all airline management.  

A non-union environment is exactly what could happen if the Delta management smear campaign succeeds. If the Delta/ Northwest merger is consummated without AFA representation of the Delta Flight Attendants the “world’s largest airline” will also be the word’s largest airline without union representation - none of us want that.

AFA International President, Pat Friend recently said, “The timing of this election is very advantageous for Delta flight attendants,” said AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend. “Now more than ever, Delta flight attendants need a strong voice in order to best defend their profession against the uncertainty that this merger may bring. Since the election will be completed long before the merger is consummated, Delta flight attendants will have the legal right to negotiate their pay and work rules as part of creating the world’s largest airline.”

Not surprisingly, Delta Air Lines management is spending millions of dollars to defeat the organization attempt. It is not only just money that management is throwing at the AFA-CWA, but lie upon lie and half truths about the AFA, and continue to belittle the need for Union representation.  We are fortunate that our merger partner, the CWA is funding the Delta organizing campaign.

There are many courageous Delta Flight Attendants participating as activists along with many Flight Attendants from AFA carriers, including US Airways. Money is not going got be enough to win this election, so I ask that when you encounter Delta Flight Attendants in airports, hotels, restaurants or vans you make the effort to engage them and invite them to join, AFA-CWA, the largest and most prestigious Flight Attendant Union in the world.

The Delta campaign will begin a “Get Out The Vote” campaign on April 24, 2008. The campaign is a multi-pronged approach that includes call centers staffed by Delta activists and AFA carrier volunteers.

The call centers have been set up to keep the Delta Flight Attendants informed of the vote and the importance of their vote. In light of the importance of this vote it we are asking for you to take a part in preserving and enhancing our profession. If you can volunteer any of your time to make this vote a success and in doing so help preserve and enhance our own careers, please involve yourself and use the information provided to do so.

Below is a list of the call center locations and their dates of operation. If you wish to volunteer, please contact the campaign managers at the following email address: gotv@deltaAFA.org

GOTV CALL CENTER LOCATIONS

ATLANTA CALL CENTER

APRIL 24 -May 27 (Calling begins 4/25)

SALT LAKE CITY CALL CENTER

APRIL 24 – May 27 (Calling begins 4/26)

WASHINGTON, D.C. CALL CENTER

APRIL 23-MAY 27 (Calling begins 4/24)

FORT LAUDERDALE-MIAMI CALL CENTER

APRIL 24 – MAY 27  (Calling begins 4/25)

LOS ANGELES CALL CENTER

APRIL 24-May 11 (Calling begins 4/26)

CINCINNATI CALL CENTER

April 24-May 11(Calling begins on 4/25)

DALLAS- FORT WORTH CALL CENTER

APRIL 24-May 11 (Calling begins on: 4/25)

NEW YORK CITY CALL CENTER

April 24-May 11 (Calling Begins on: 4/25)
 

Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
The US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA

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AFA US Airways Website

www.afausairways.org

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AFA Local Numbers
 
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

New Hotline Number Toll Free: 866-USA-AFA2
US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780

Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com

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