It absolutely slays you that DL has the largest non-union maintenance force in the world and they actually have companies coming to them looking to do their maintenance work - far more so than for any other airline in the world.
I'm guessing you're talking to 700 here, but I think our MRO business is a good thing, even if it has fallen off a bit.
So, the FAs are special and their cards don't expire?
Don't play coy; you're smarter than that. Of course they expire. This campaign isn't old enough to have cards rolling off yet.
You need a whole lot more cards than the couple dozen internet malcontent FAs.
You bet you do. Good thing the number of supporters is exponentially higher than that.
They just don't represent even close to a majority of DL FAs - and a majority IS what is needed.
The last election was amazingly close. And while many people have left through EO's, and some are likely content with the current set up, many (including formerly ardent NO voters) are not. Like I said before, the company is doing a great job of organizing for the F/A group.
The AFA couldn't pull it off in 2010 and delayed the NW employees receiving profit sharing, the IAM doesn't stand a chance. AFA is a F/A union that represents FAs, the IAM is a catch all dues hungry union. In the the three years since AFA decertification presumably some of the PM-NW FAs have come out to see the sunny side of non-union environment and may have come to like it.
I think the death knell for the AFA at DL came when they wouldn't release the group to seek representation elsewhere. Of course, the company has done plenty over the years to vilify the AFA- and they'll do so now with the IAM as well (actually, it's already well underway)...
If the IAM wants to squander more money on this hopeless cause, be my guest but history has proven DL employees are content without representation, are treated fairly and receive competitive pay, benefits and work rules.
That's just it. W/R/T the F/A's specifically, many feel that the total compensation package is now regressive, to say nothing of work rules. When a raise here doesn't offset an increased employee borne cost there, well...
You agreed they made missteps and won't even acknowledge it, it's clear the IAM is out of step with their members maybe its time to clean house before organizing.
As you know, my issues are mainly with 141. One of the great things about the F/A campaign is that while the IAM is providing logistic support, they've basically stepped aside and let the activists run their campaign themselves the way they see fit. As you also well know, bottom up organizing/activism is a *big* deal to me...