Source: Reuters Author: Karen Jacobs 07/27/2009
Subject Concerned: Aircrew Airlines Human Resource
On Jul. 27, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union moved to seek a representation election at Delta Air Lines Inc, which acquired Northwest Airlines last year.
In a statement, the union said more than 20,000 flight attendants at Northwest and Delta were eager to vote for union representation.
Northwest has 7,350 flight attendants currently represented by the AFA, while Delta's 13,300 flight attendants are not unionized, the AFA-CWA said.
Specifically, the union said it asked the National Mediation Board to declare that the 2008 merger of Delta and Northwest created a single transportation system that requires the board to hold a union representation election for flight attendants.
Once the National Mediation Board determines the carriers operate as a single airline, an election date would be set to determine if AFA-CWA would represent the flight attendants, the union said.
In its statement, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said the Delta election would be among the largest conducted by the National Mediation Board.
In a statement, Delta said flight attendants have been seeking to resolve the union representation issue for months.
"We're pleased that the AFA has finally filed for an election so our people can choose whether they wish to be represented," Atlanta-based Delta said. "We've always respected our flight attendants' choice and believe the AFA should respect that choice as well."