Hello deltafa.org Friends:
Item 1
As you can tell, we have not been publishing regularly. We are still in
idle mode after our group handed the AFA the largest defeat in RLA
history. The National Mediation Board's (NMB) investigation is ongoing and
hopefully the NMB will come to a decision soon. We are hopeful that the
investigation proves that the AFA’s charges of interference were greatly
exaggerated and dismiss the interference charges. However, we will be
ready for round two if it occurs.
Item 2
We have noticed how our aircraft are returning to normal as most AFA
supporters have taken off their pins and joined together with the majority
of us. Only the most die-hard of the activists are still wearing pins and
spouting venom. Hopefully, they will soon realize that the AFA holds no
promise for us and leave the drama and argumentativeness at home.
Item 3
The evidence that the AFA drive is losing support even among its most
militant is growing. This year at the Shareholders meeting, there were no
AFA activists asking silly questions. Although there were a couple of lone
AFA supporters in the audience, they were mercifully quiet. Hopefully,
this means that they are going to throw in the towel and we can get back
to the business of operating an airline profitably without the distraction
the AFA. If you want to listen to a replay of the webcast of the
Shareholder's Meeting, go to http://www.delta.com/inside/investors/index.jsp
It will be available until May 26, 2002 Note: the webcast will last
about 1:30
Item 4
In other AFA organizing news, our friends at Frontier Airlines are
experiencing yet another AFA election. This the AFA’s attempt number
three. Unfortunately for the AFA, some courageous Frontier flight
attendants are speaking out against the AFA. We wish them luck in their
struggle against the big poorly run union from Washington, D.C.
Item 5
As an example of just how poorly the AFA is run, the AFA has not filed
its 2001 LM-2 with the Department of Labor. This form was due in April,
yet the AFA has yet to file it. Could it be that this LM-2 is going to
show a massive loss, and the AFA does not want its members to know how
much of the AFA’s resources that it squandered on its bloated
bureaucracy and this disastrous attempt to organize Delta? We do not know.
It could just be the typical AFA incompetence in taking care of its
business. After all, the AFA filed the LM-2 for the year 2000 in July,
three months late.
Item 6
On a sad note, the Flight Attendants
for Independent Representation (FAIR) at United Airlines has
temporally suspended its attempt to replace the AFA with a more effective,
APFA - style independent union. Unfortunately, this will most likely
result in FAIR being disbanded in the future. The only bright side is the
UAL flight attendants are beginning to show a bit of independence. When
the AFA at UAL shut down the union sponsored discussion board, an
independently minded UAL flight attendant started a replacement board
immediately. This board is only for UAL flight attendants and is password
protected.
If you are a UAL flight attendant and have not
found the new message board, visit the Private
UAL Flight Attendant Message Board
Item 7
Many of you remember that our pilot ground instructors organized under
the TWU Banner in late 1999. As a result, they did not participate
in the 3% raise that all non contract personnel received in 2000.
Additionally, they were not eligible to participate in the voluntary plans
offered in the Delta Recovery package.
Well, their saga continues. It is April 2002, over two
years from their organizing, and they still do not have a
contract. But wait, it gets better. The TWU is now
facing an attempt by a group of pilot ground instructors to decertify
it. Read more about the trials and tribulations of the newest union
at Delta on their homepage.
Also read the Important
Letter from the TWU Local President. At Deltafa.org, we are very
glad that we do not have his job.
It is important to note that the AFA and its activists always
downplayed the length of time that it takes to get a first
contract. If we had elected the AFA in February
and met the same company opposition, we would not have a contract until
2005 at the earliest.
Item 9
Remember the AFA activists mantra that we need the "dignity
and respect of a legally binding contract that is enforceable in a court
of law?" Remember our activists pointing to the
contractual protections that our pilots enjoyed?
Recently, an arbitrator reminded us just how illusory these protections
are.
Our pilots had a legally binding provision in their
contract that prevented the Company for furloughing pilots, a "no
furlough" clause. As we are all aware, pilots have been
furloughed and close to 1,400 of them could eventually be out on the
street.
Last week, an arbitrator said that this furlough was legal under the
contract's "force majeure" clause.
Here, we see that a contract is a double edged sword. ALPA made
concessions to get a no furlough clause, yet when its members needed the
no furlough protections, management was able to legally circumvent the
contract.
This is at the same time when Delta's non-contract personnel were
offered generous leaves, retirement and voluntary severance
packages. Clearly, the non-contract employees have faired better
than the contract employees at Delta.
When we look to our AFA protected counterparts, we are hands down in a
better position. We had no furloughs while 10,000 AFA members,
some of them protected by "no furlough" clauses were out of
work.
Clearly, Delta flight attendants have been treated with more dignity
and respect than either our contractually protected pilots or the AFA
protected flight attendants at other carriers.
Item 10
We are getting a little more activity on deltafa.org
talk. Feel
free to join the discussion if only to annoy the AFA’s organizing
department. They visit us regularly.
Item 11
We are soliciting opinions on what to do with this site after the NMB
returns its decision. Feel free to e-mail us your opinion.
Fly safe,
deltafa.org
