I know most cringe when family references are used
and I will tell you why that is..
it is because we come from a company with a management team who carried out some of the worst labor relations in the history of aviation...
in the late 80's, early 90's we had new leadership, for the first time many of us felt there was real change at Northwest.
new uniforms, a new paint scheme and a sense of a new NWA.
in the early 1990's the Gulf War put a drain on the airline industry, however we all worked together and accepted paycuts in order to keep Northwest solvent. (moral was high, at least to me it felt like we were moving beyond the merger..that is another story..)
shortly thereafter and in the following years, record profits for the company.
(record profits in the history of the entire company)
when the period of paycuts finally came to a conclusion we were to have our pay snapped back to a mere 3 percent for Flight Attendant and of course to negotiate our new contract restoring all our pay.
then something started to happen, our new leaders..started to change course...
we had to take them to court to get a three percent increase because for some reason they just refused to pay us. (a three percent raise after we have just given paycuts for several years we were entitled to..)
in 1998, they also refused to bargain with the pilots for whatever reasons..they locked them out.
what happened to the Flight Attendants in 1998? oh yeah, they furloughed every single one of us..
all of us.. when the lockout began, for a period of one month and that caused us to lose our guarantees as they dropped every single trip took us off payroll and we were not paid one cent. (I was literally shocked they did that)
in a two week period, they managed to throw..
one billion dollars out the window, furloughed all the Flight Attendants (even though it was a period of two weeks) and then basically gave the pilots what they wanted when all was said and done.
(when people lose trust in someone they will do the right thing, it takes some time to get back..it doesn't mean it will never happen again, it just takes time)
I was proud to work for Northwest.. because I knew the airline was actually the employees who made up the airline..
(I hope that makes sense)
(the DOT statistics proved our performance ranked at the top)
we were the ontime airline for a full decade.. even though some of them tried to make us feel like we did not matter at all.. being professional people knowing what needs to be done, that would be focusing on the the job...(even with all the unnecessary distractions to employees who are simply.. very good people)
when we finally got past the pay cuts of the 1990's, after a four year delay of negotiations largely because it appears Management really wasnt very modivated securing a contract... they (the union) managed to negotiate a TA that restored our pay in the late 1990's, for some reason a group of Flight Attendants felt that wasn't acceptable and basically formed a grass roots effort to turn down that agreement.
It was successful..
I dont know if it was those who were rallying against that agreement negotiated by Teamsters or the fact some were just still pissed off about the stunt management had just pulled on us, but for whatever reason it was turned down...
(ironically that TA late 1990's, the one rejected was probably the best contract we would ever see again for some time if ever again)
this was also the beginning of having our group merged in an out of three unions in less than 10 years. The second TA in 2000 was the best contract we have ever had, it was ratified and that is also the same agreement PFAA threw out the window.
so its just a series of mistakes on both parts that have caused some to feel well..
its not really a family..
(no matter who says what, but of course some can prove to others it can be the case, or should I say, it possible for both sides to really work together enabling success for all)
unfortunately, it is the people in the middle who really suffer while two sides bicker with each other..
but!
Some people can look past all of that, every little bit and actually see..
it is a business..first. (a business one can be proud of and dedicated to, but it is...)
a
business.
Believe me, they know what they are doing.. they did not merge us into the airline doing anyone a favor.
regardless...
a positive working environment is crucial.. as the airline must be forward-focused...because,
it appears to me, DL people have experienced for the most part a different type of experience..while not perfect (as nothing really is) it was never to the extremes others have encountered.. regarding not the positive relations..regarding labor. I believe there is something unique and a sense of pride at DL and it may be difficult for some.. not to understand why others do not recognize that or fully embrace that..yet.
(but it can happen)
Defending a tradition is admirable, engaging an unnecessary fight with pre-merger employees to prove something is better, (not stating you are going that route) does not really show anything other than, its just the same ole same ole with a different uniform and paint job.
If people start to believe its all fake, (fake nice, fake smile, fake welcome with a hint of being condescending) and that is done to NW people after what we just went through while some are really wanting to embrace the positives..
it only proves to some..
this idea of having something different was just
a line of BS.
(lets not go that route)
the trade of slots (the topic, I sort of wandered away from..
😳 but I felt it was necessary to state!) is so significant and in my opinion..hopefully will be approved!
I am elated to be a part of Delta going forward.. so with that said,
to the many who have made us feel welcome..
(especially those at the ATL training facility)
Thank you.