Delta/NW Union, Yay or Nay?

The Union is being gagged by management - lots of petty "If you don't ask, they can't tell" going on. If you have a Shop Steward about and wonder why you haven't heard anything from them, ASK.

To be honest, I was among those who though that the Union didn't give a damn anymore as they were barely 'present' until I asked one of my friends WTF was going on...

Vote which ever way your heart tells you, but by god, VOTE INFORMED.

Personally, the fact that the Union is actively being silenced and squished down scares the hell out of me, and makes me wonder what would happen if they were completely taken away....

I'll say it outright - Delta may NOT have needed a Union in the past, but those days are long gone and we need as many people watching out for each other as we can get - WE are strong together.

here is my 2cents...I say no...At Delta during the decline after 9-11 and bankruptcy, we were treated no worse then emloyees at other airlines that had representation, and it some cases we were treated better...yes, our management could just swoop in and cut our pay without negotiations - but take a look around, employees that had representation also got their pay and benefits cut - either thru negotions or forced negotiations by a Bankruptcy judge...what happened to the contract that can never be broken , it was broken!!!

when the NWA unions decide to finally call for a vote, which I think it totally sucks the Unions are delaying it waiting for the NMB to change the rules while they are calling for votes at other airlines...I will be voting no!! (if Ready Reserves are allowed to vote)

It is so much easier to vote IN a union then it is to vote one OUT...so now is the time to vote OUT the unions...this is the airline industry and there will always be a union rep somewhere with their noses all over the place wanting to represent us so if things dont go the way the majority likes, there is the opportuntiy to get back into the union...

I was raised with my parents dealing with their unions at manufacturing and chemical plants and came to realize at an early age that Unions have outlived their usefulness...when it comes right down to it - the security of your jobs is determined by the fiscal soundness of your company, not the union you are paying dues to every month...

Having worked in both, I am pro union.

Most, if not all States are "at-will" employment, meaning a company can terminate you at will and without reason.
I do not like that hanging over me at all...

I say no. I worked for 2 different airlines prior to DL. One without a union one with. I had 21 year without and everything worked out fine. We had a great agent counsel that worked along with management. The second was unionized and was promised union help, but everyon in that station got laid off. All avenues of transferes were squashed. Union said they worked till zero hour and it helped no one. How many remembered Eastern?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lov2travel

How many remembered Eastern?

---

I remember Eastern, and I remember Frank Lorenzo too.

Welcome aboard lov2Travel, the buffet is straight ahead. *wink*

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeltaFlyer

It is so much easier to vote IN a union then it is to vote one OUT...so now is the time to vote OUT the unions...this is the airline industry and there will always be a union rep somewhere with their noses all over the place wanting to represent us so if things dont go the way the majority likes, there is the opportuntiy to get back into the union...

.

---

I agree with DeltaFlyer.
It may seem strange at first to not have union rep to fight your battles (if you should need to fight one).
However, I have had to use Delta's famous or infamous "Open Door" policy twice since the WA/DL merger about issues that pertained only to me, not to the work group at large. It actually works. I have known quite a few others, who had more egregious isssues than mine, that have also used this venue to speak with senior management.

In the last 15 years I have had many friends leave Delta for greener pastures only to lament how much they miss working for Delta.
Even with the mergers, paycuts, furloughs, new management, old management, new rules, old rules, they would come back.
I can't explain why that is but I do know this.
Give it a try without a union - you might be surprised to find out that you will still have a voice
* Your own! *

You are wise to get as many opinions pro and con that you can, however, the ultimate decision is still yours to make. Good Luck!

Unions are screwin our economy. Well, thats what fox news tells me.

Yup. A TA is reached and when its all signed and done, up to 6k signing bonus for a two year contract plus retroactive pay going back over a year amounting to up to 12k gran total. FOR EACH TEAMSTER TECHNICIAN. More floating holidays, increase in pay, standardized union work rules and holidays, vacations, ect... Of course, how much you receive is based on factors such as time with company at various levels, of which details I will not discuss here, but you say what you want about a union. When the votes get ratified, I'll think about your responses here against uions as I drive all the way to the bank. Did your non-unionized work force in all your years of loyal service ever receive a ten grand check in their hand just for doing the same job that they did yesterday? We have a great culture at work, but we don't tolerate management treading on us. We will pay the union dues to see that this stays that way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 29palms

Yup. A TA is reached and when its all signed and done, up to 6k signing bonus for a two year contract plus retroactive pay going back over a year amounting to up to 12k gran total. FOR EACH TEAMSTER TECHNICIAN. More floating holidays, increase in pay, standardized union work rules and holidays, vacations, ect... Of course, how much you receive is based on factors such as time with company at various levels, of which details I will not discuss here, but you say what you want about a union. When the votes get ratified, I'll think about your responses here against uions as I drive all the way to the bank. Did your non-unionized work force in all your years of loyal service ever receive a ten grand check in their hand just for doing the same job that they did yesterday? We have a great culture at work, but we don't tolerate management treading on us. We will pay the union dues to see that this stays that way.

---

I am a former NW employee and my wife is a current NW/DL CSS. I have seen what THIS union has done for Northwest the last 20 years... NOTHING!!! I happy that you feel that the union has done great by you, but you are in the minority. It's like a person who has won 100 million in the lottery telling everyone else how great the lottery is and that they should spend everything they have buying tickets.
Please note that my comments are not directed at the pilots & fa's... I do not have knowledge of their contracts and thus can not give an opinion... At least an educated one :)

DO you DELTA people that post here that vote against having a union realize that being a union member is GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR PILOTS? And ALPA is the strongest union around. They take good care of their pilots. NWA employee? I take it you were never in a union were you? And if you were in the union at NWA, as a tech with AMFA you were definately in the brunt end of a bad contract/managment situation. Sorry about that one. I never said the union was great and that you always hit the lotto with a union contract. I did say, however, if you read between the lines, YOU ARE A FOOL IF YOU DON'T UNIONIZE IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY! (Being stuck on stupid about unions in general is your problem.) I bet you the pilots at Delta have a union don't they? Sure they do. You'll never see a pilot in the airline working without a contract. Your CEO's work on contracts too. Do you expect pilots and FA's to be the only work groups that rate having a union? You don't feel rampers, technicians, gate agents have the right to collective bargaining? FOOLISH THINKING. The smartest groups organize. The other work groups get scared off easily by their own fellow co-workers misinformed against being union.