Please note: The content of the e-newsletter has been banned from your NWA-AFA Union bulletin board by NWA/DL management!

MANAGEMENT ENGAGES OUTSIDE FIRM TO CHANGE LOCKS ON UNION BULLETIN BOARD 

Fresh on the heels of a recent upsurge in heavy-handed, anti-union tactics, NWA/Delta management contracted with an outside vendor to break into your NWA-AFA Flight Attendant Union Bulletin Board in the DTW crew lounge and change the lock, unannounced.  Alerted to the incident by an attentive Flight Attendant, Local 94 Officers discovered that Johnson Controls, DTW airport systems and facilities provider, had been appointed to forcibly remove the union lock last Tuesday, March 3, 2009.

Management contends they had no choice but to contact Johnson Controls, as they no longer had their copy of the bulletin board key, to which they are contractually entitled.  Strangely, however, management DID have their key just weeks ago, when they first entered the locked Union bulletin board and systematically removed all content placed therein by Local 94 Officers.  This same lock had previously remained in place without question for 2 ½ years—the entire time AFA has been on the property.

Please note your Local 94 office received no report of missing keys and no company requests for a duplicate key.   One can only assume the intention was to prevent placement of union news and election-related material on the board, in accordance with Delta’s long-standing tradition of “controlling the message.”  In fact, management’s new interpretations of what they feel is contractually permitted on the board have led to an outright management BAN of most printed union material. Fortunately, our well-educated DTW Flight Attendants generally seek more balanced, inclusive information than is found on the colorful “ASK ME” Inflight table, and increasingly recognize the new efforts to censor dissenting voices for what they are.

Occasionally, we hear members concerned that the Union appears to “fear-mongering” as we share this information.  Please know that is never our intention.  As professional advocates for ALL Delta Flight Attendants, we are dedicated to cautious optimism moving forward, but with a vigilant defense for hard-won victories and the right to keep our voice.  The key thing is this: It is imperative our members are familiar with strategic union-busting tactics and recognize them when they occur. 

Above: DTW’s ever-changing “Ask Me” management information table (left),

DTW Crew Lounge Union Bulletin Board after all information was removed (far right)

Above: Delta’s anti-union “Don’t Click, Don’t Dial” campaign tables in ATL, encouraging FAs to defeat the union by not voting during last year’s AFA election.  Look familiar?   

MAKING THE CHOICE TO KEEP OUR VOICE 

Despite a contentious labor-relations history, NWA Flight Attendants have long enjoyed freedom of expression, open speech and unimpeded access to union news and information with little objection from management.  Historically, NWA has not practiced Delta’s brand of overt interference in our choice to maintain and/or change Union representation.  And over the years, NWA Flight Attendants have repeatedly and overwhelmingly demonstrated the democratic strength of our resolve to preserve Union advocacy in our workplace. 

Throughout the coming weeks, we will do our best to familiarize you with more of the union-busting strategies you can expect in the upcoming election.  Many of the tactics Delta has previously employed with its own crew members will be new—and possibly shocking—to our members.  Even so, we cannot know how Delta’s specialized strategists will alter last year’s anti-AFA campaign tactics to match the different demographic and historical resolve of pre-merger NWA Flight Attendants. 

You probably already recognize some of the softer psychological strategies that have been implemented.  These include subtle communication styles with carefully crafted key words and ostensibly upbeat (but cleverly distorted) managerial mantras, as well as negative, inaccurate Union attributes. Others are more intentionally confrontational and alarming in order to instill employee compliance with the new corporate mindset. 

“Harmonize”... “Right-size”...“Direct Relationship”...

“Fair and Equitable”...“Outsiders”...“Third-party”...

“We respect your right to choose”

“THESE ARE NOT THE DROIDS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR”

However direct the anti-union message, Delta’s legal advisors will repeatedly inject the phrase “We respect your right to choose” into each memo, blog or conference call, as if just saying it made it so.  Such declarations remain semantically mindful of what the National Mediation Board might tolerate, should Delta be legally challenged for election interference, yet again.  (Sidebar to old Star Wars fans: this is essentially the old Jedi mind trick that declares, “These are not the droids you’re looking for.”) 

IN OTHER LOUNGES AROUND THE SYSTEM...   

NWA-AFA Memphis Council 93 recently verified and reported an incident involving a 35-year Delta staff-member, currently employed as a Delta Call Center Manager, allegedly posing as an active line flight attendant in the NWA MEM Flight Attendant Crew lounge.  This manager, approved to “hang out and answer questions” by base management, represented herself as an off-duty rank-and-file ATL-based Flight Attendant in an attempt to “blend in.”  Instead, she used her productivity sit to promote blatantly anti-union rhetoric and responded to NWA FA inquiries with professionally prepared misinformation. 

According to dozens of MEM-based Flight Attendants she encountered, this manager’s undercover work was quickly recognized as a sham, due to her inability to accurately and knowledgeably engage in common crew-related discussions, including crew legalities, pattern (or “rotation”) types, retirement issues, etc.  In short order, the Union was notified, and serious back-peddling began days later with corporate leadership. 

Despite being caught red-handed in this deception, however, Delta has advised that we will continue to see more Delta employees around the system, on hand to answer our questions.  Additionally, reports indicate Delta EIGs (Employee Involvement Group members, comparable to our Special Assignment FAs) have been traveling the NWA system, engaging in similar one-on-one anti-union discussions, while purporting to collect service information. 

Should you encounter one of these Delta representatives, please welcome our new colleagues professionally, as you would wish to be greeted.  Remain alert to underlying agendas within these casual chats.  Their suggestions to become union-free will likely be light and friendly, with cheerful encouragement about how much you’ll love it, and “why not give it a try?”  Feel free to ask your own questions about policies, procedures, and life at our new employer.  Most importantly, however, arm yourself with education upfront and/or call your Local 94 Office to fact-check conflicting information.  Always report these encounters to a local council member.

As a side note, please be aware that Delta tradition does, in fact, permit Delta supervisors to maintain full Flight Attendant seniority accrual on the seniority list, regardless of their length of service as a manager.  (Per Delta policy, roughly 100 +/- Delta managers are afforded this benefit, and remain on Delta’s proposed seniority list with proposed full Date of Hire integration.  As such, Delta recommends these managers enjoy the added rank-and-file privilege of voting for or against union representation in our upcoming NMB election.)  This policy stands in direct contrast to the contractual guidelines for NWA supervisors who remain in management longer than 12 months. 

Delta-proposed seniority retention, however, does NOT permit managers to misrepresent their identity as rank and file in order to promote a non-union agenda.  In fact, this behavior is explicitly prohibited under Railway Labor guidelines, which state that a carrier shall not “interfere?influence or coerce” its employees in their choice of representative.  We find it curious—and a little frightening—that management would employ this level of deception to disseminate their message if they truly believed it was compliant with Railway Labor Act (RLA) regulations.  

POLICING THE PURPLE RIBBON 

NWA-AFA and Local 94 continues to assert our contractual right to wear the purple ribbon insignia—a small gesture of unity recognizing Northwest and Delta’s blended colors—as provided in our contract and permitted in the Northwest Airlines Uniform Guidelines policy.  Despite a binding MEC resolution that officially established our union insignia to include the purple ribbon, management still refuses to recognize this change. 

As previously reported, management even called the DTW Airport Police to control what they apparently thought might be a rogue, undercover purple ribbon assembly line. The company’s laughable stance on choosing our insignia is comparable to Flight Attendants deciding we refuse to recognize the widget as Delta’s logo!

An MEC grievance has been filed over our right to wear this insignia.  Nonetheless, we remind you that if a NWA manager requests you remove your ribbon, NWA Rules of Conduct state that employees must comply with management directives.  Without being insubordinate or confrontational, we can still professionally assert our rights with a verbal reminder of the facts.  In all such cases, be sure to note manager names, dates and times for an Election Interference Report and a follow-up call to your Local 94 office.

As the eyes and ears of your Union, we ask that you continue to report unusual incidents and encounters to your Local 94 office as they occur. We will investigate new or evolving situations and pass on the facts you need to remain alert during this pivotal time in our history.

Please stop by your Local 94 Office for a complete packet of BANNED MATERIAL, including election facts, accurate comparisons, and other useful contract information to read and share.  Arm yourself with the answers you need when a coworker asks, “What has AFA done for me lately?”  Visit http://www.deltaafa.org for the most up-to-date campaign reports, with links to hot topics, streaming videos, election reports and more. 

We encourage you to sign up to receive bi-weekly e-mail campaign updates while you’re there.  DeltaAFA Campaign newsletters are intended to augment, but not replace, the weekly MEC hotlines and Local 94 e-newsletters you may already receive.  Each of these is a separate mailing list.  Signing up for one does not automatically sign you up for the others, unless you specifically so choose.

Please wear your union insignia, fly safe, and fly the contract!