Dear Colleagues . . .

Today we are one step closer to securing representation at the New Delta Air Lines. 

We are pleased to inform you that today, July 27, 2009, flight attendants from Northwest and Delta have filed for Single Carrier Designation with the National Mediation Board (NMB).  (To see the press release, click here)  Today’s filing will trigger a chain of events that will lead to our combined group voting for representation. 

A HISTORY OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING; HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Flight attendants from Northwest secured their first Agreement with the company in 1947.   Important pieces of language from that first contract have survived decades and still exist in our Agreement today.  Our profession has come a long way since the 1940s.  Flight attendant unions have been the bedrock of positive change for the industry  - - indeed, many of the standards we accept as commonplace today are the result of contract negotiations and successful grievances won by our predecessors. 

For Delta flight attendants, voting for representation means participation for the first time in bargaining a contract.  It means that work rules and policies won’t be changed from one day to the next.  A vote for representation does not mean that Delta flight attendants will fall under the pre-merger Northwest contract.  The group of more than 20,000 flight attendants will come together to negotiate what’s best for our careers, and our profession. 

Company Executives paid themselves millions of dollars in compensation last year, negotiated substantial raises for the pilots, and yet our pay and benefits remain at the bottom of the industry.  Only a legally binding contract can guarantee flight attendants’ pay, benefits, and work rules.  A contract means we have a voice in how we are treated on the job, as a professional.  The vote for representation and the subsequent contract for world’s largest group of flight attendants will truly be historic. 

THE NEW DELTA:  EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES AMIDST INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

The merger with Delta means an exciting era of new destinations, new friends, and the prospect of touching more of the world.  It’s a time of personal and professional growth for all of us. 

At the same time, we are facing professional challenges in an industry that is undergoing a transformation of its own.  Nobody knows better than the 20,000 of us at Delta what it takes for us to sustain the highest level of professional performance during these hard times.  That is why sticking together is so important.  We can only achieve so much working individually, but we can achieve great things for our careers united with our co-workers.  Bargaining together for a legally binding contract gives us the opportunity to do just that. 

STAY INFORMED, ASK QUESTIONS, GET INVOLVED

The press release accompanying today’s filing is attached to this letter.  Please visit the official Delta AFA website at www.deltaafa.org for the latest news and information about the campaign for representation.  A new interactive number has been established to help with communications going forward:  888.DAL.AFA1.  The info and support line is your source for news, and answers to frequently asked questions.  Future programming will allow you to speak with campaign leaders and activists and help with the voting process once it is underway. 

Show your support!  Wear your union pins, display your ProDelta ProAFA bag tags and stay up to date by signing up for Delta-AFA emails!  If you need a pin or bag tag, or if you want to get more involved, just go to www.deltaafa.org.