IAM Stepping Up campaign

[700UW]

[SIZE=24pt]IAM-Delta Flight Attendant Campaign Lands in Amsterdam[/SIZE]

January 8, 2014
  

Delta Air Lines Flight Attendants' quest for IAM representation arrived in Europe this week, as grassroots Delta Flight Attendant activists kicked off a week of organizing activities in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on Monday January 6, 2014.

The week's activities in Amsterdam will offer Delta Flight Attendants the chance to sign or renew their election authorization card and to learn more about the campaign and the benefits of union representati

on.​

The IAM activists also met with the Secretary of the London-based International Transport Workers Federation and representatives from FNV Cabine, a Dutch union supporting their efforts that represents Flight Attendants at Delta code-share partner KLM.

"I sincerely thank both the Delta Flight Attendant activists who exemplify the principles of trade unionism in their purest form, and our ITF brothers and sisters for their support," said IAM General Vice President and ITF Executive Board member Sito Pantoja. "This week will demonstrate the IAM’s global reach and the power of international coordination and solidarity. The inclusion of Delta Flight Attendants will only make our global solidarity even stronger."

"The professionalism of cabin crew at Delta cannot be underestimated," said ITF Civil Aviation Secretary Gabriel Mocho. "These workers keep passengers safe every day of the year, yet each and every one of them could face the sack at zero notice. We welcome this campaign to raise a

wareness on the benefits of organisation, and offer our full support and backing to the campaign. We urge our affiliates to reach out to Delta flight attendants, to share their experiences of belonging to a union, and to help raise standards for them."​

"I'm really excited that our campaign has gained international support," said Delta Flight Attendant Gabe Perez. "Flight Attendants from around the world that have a voice at work are pulling for us at Delta. No Delta Flight Attendant should be afraid to sign and send in an IAM card."​

Find out more about the IAM Delta campaign at www.iamdelta.net.

Submit a request for an "auto card".

Stay up to date with the latest campaign news by liking IAM Delta’s Facebook page.

Visit the ITF Delta campaign page.​

                                                 
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[BABABOOY]

Comical, the card drive is close to two years for inflight.  Just not gonna happen. First we hear a vote will be "this Summer" than we
heard a "vote will be called by the end of the year". In their defense they didn't state what year lol....  It's not gonna happen.  The IAM
and those who are presently represented by them will realize the money can be well spent elsewhere than on yet another failed attempt to unionize Delta F/A's.

 

[737823]

And remind us what major F/A group the IAM currently represents? The CO agreement was a company wish list agreement similar to the terms that would be extended if they were unorganized, high bases, few and weak rules, etc. How well did the IAM members at TWA fare ? I hope the DL F/As see the UA CBA and see the IAM's fine leaders and what they can produce, since after all the UA agreement was "monumental" in their words.

Josh

 

[700UW]

http://www.startribune.com/local/208961821.html?page=1&c=y

 

[WorldTraveler]

so what is the focus of this thread?

we have this from the article you just posted:

The trade group Airlines for America declined to comment, as did United and American airlines. Delta does not specifically restrict sleep aids but “we require … flight attendants to be free from any medication that impairs their ability to perform the safety duties of their job,” said spokeswoman Betsy Talton. “Employees are responsible for knowing how medication affects them.”

Aggression and blackouts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration label warns that Ambien and other sleep aids with the ingredient Zolpidem have been linked to rare but “serious side effects” that include “more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal, confusion, agitation.”

That described behavior attributed to Lund on his final flight from Anchorage to Minneapolis-St. Paul. A memo from his personnel file said other attendants and passengers saw Lund shoving a colleague during boarding and calling him a jerk.

Lund said that he didn’t recall pushing the colleague and that any problems were “Ambien induced,” wrote a supervisor. “He said if he woke up during the night, he would take one if he needed to go back to sleep.”

and we have an IAM campaign in Amsterdam..... perhaps you or someone can explain why the IAM is setting up a campaign in AMS... so far as I know (which may not be everything) DL doesn't have any AMS based FAs.

 

[700UW]

Because there are a lot of DL FAs that travel through AMS.
 
And the point of the article is that the FAs need a union and a CBA to prevent the issue of lack of rest.
 
I can copy and paste numerous incidents on how DL is treating their FAs badly in regard to rest and DL and its schedulers abusing the FAs and not valuing them as an asset to the company.
 
One example is an FA couldnt drive into DTW because of the road conditions, the politicians told people to stay off the roads yet DL gives her an unexcused absence.

 

[700UW]

Here is an example of how DL treats its FAs:
 

Here is yet another reason IAM ready for representation. Warning: this is going to be a long one.

On 3 Adays from 1/7-1/9 in HNL, which I picked up from a friend. Assigned airport standby from 8:45am-12:45pm. Assigned 3Day KIX worth over 17 hrs ten minutes before my sign in. Called scheduling after signed in and ask to be release into my trip so I can go home and rest. Request denied so sat at airport standby to cover possible boarding other flights or maybe reassigned to earlier flights.

There are two other standbys and I make #3. If you know HNL you know the chance of anything happening is pretty rare. Given release now at 12:09pm for my 12:10pm report for KIX.

Sleeping in the quiet room and gets a call at 11:00am. Taken off my assigned KIX trip and was told that trip has been given to someone on availability. No problem, as I am so tired and happy not be flying. An hour later awaken by KIX crew saying briefing has begun. Inform crew that I was no longer on flight and heading home at 12:45pm.

Day 2 of Adays I scanned open time for any possible trips that can be assigned to me for the remaining 2 days I have left. Nothing and had plenty of junior people below me on 3 or more Adays. Likelihood of being call out for the remaining time on Adays is about 10% at this point. Pretty much in the clear to get 14:15 for doing nothing. Score!

Wait....I see a 3 day trip to SLC...HNL-SLC-HNL on 1/8-1/10 worth 13:16. Work one leg over, 24 hours in SLC and DH back. Six open positions. I need to get away from the warm weather and experience some change in weather. I know, CRAZY.

I will finish Adays on 1/9 and off from 1/10 to 1/26. I needed the hours and it is an easy trip so I put in the preference. Wham, I get the trip. Great, I will get pay 4:45 for each of my 3 Adays and get pay 6:50 on my DH back to HNL on my day off on 1/10. I wasn't even thinking about the +4 for flying into my day off.

Wow, was I in for a surprise. I will not be getting 4:45 for each of my 3Adays nor will I be getting 6:50 for DH on my return flight on 1/10 or get +4 for flying into my day off. The kicker....since I preference the trip I am not entitle to any of that.

Here is what I am getting:
4:45 for day one of Aday plus 13:16 for the trip plus per diem equals 18:01 for four days. Had I not pick up the trip I would have gotten 14:15 for three days of doing nothing.

I thought I was going to get 4:45 for the first Aday I sat, 6:26 for the flight time from HNL-SLC for the second Aday which I flew, 4:45 for the last Aday which is a 24 hr layover in SLC, and finally, 6:50 for the fourth day (my day off). This would equals to 22:46.

I am getting pay 18:01 plus per diem instead. That is a loss of 4:45 so basically I am working the extra day for 2:05 of pay, a loss of 4:45 which equates to over $200 I am losing.

If this was not bad enough, I am now working the flight back instead of deadheading. Apparently a very junior FA picked up one of the rotation that works both ways. I picked up a rotation that had a specific DH back. Well, this FA then trade this rotation to another FA that is now senior to me. This FA then calls scheduling saying that he/she is senior and should not have to work back, but should DH.

My problem is that if you pick up a rotation that requires you to work, you should work because that is on YOUR rotation. Why did scheduling allow that?

So I called scheduling on it and the response was that I was on Adays. WTF? Hello...I picked up a rotation that had me DH on my day off. Lesson learned. Plz do not make the same mistake as I have done.

The company saved a lot of money from my mistake. This is how we are valued. No good deeds go unpunished. Never ever ever again. IAM so ready!
 

 

[737823]

http://www.startribune.com/local/208961821.html?page=1&c=y

This article is from more than seven months ago, why are you posting it now?

In Minneapolis, rest times for many former Northwest Airlines flight attendants shortened after the company was acquired by Delta and their union contract expired. “Our duty days have gotten two to three hours longer in a lot of cases,” said flight attendant Julianna Helminski.

Well, you of all people, the champion of the RLA should know collective bargaining agreements do not expire, they become amendable. In this case the majority prevailed and wanted to decertify the AFA and have no representation. Such weak scholarship on this reporters part, but again didn't the same Star Tribune write the article on ready reserve rife with misinformation and half truths? Perhaps they are playing into their readership nostalgic that the former NWA is now long gone?

Josh

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

Because there are a lot of DL FAs that travel through AMS.

Plus, you can really 'party' in AMS.  Also, given that the majority of the expenses will be covered by somebody else's money why wouldn't you want to vacation, antagonize, campaign in AMS for such a good cause?

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

Here is an example of how DL treats its FAs:

Maybe I'm missing something, but how exactly is this mistreatment?  It seems to me that the person wanted to play a game but did not fully understand the rules, so when things didn't exactly go as expected it is now natural to want to place blame on somebody else instead of accepting responsibility for ones own choices/decisions/actions.  How a union could potentially prevent this individual from doing something not well thought out (stupid?) like this again in the future is beyond my comprehension.

 

[700UW]

There are no rules, thats what you dont get.

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

There are no rules, thats what you dont get.

I disagree.  Read the persons account again.  IMHO he/she not only knew the rules but stated them in the story.  I wouldn't necessarily say the person was trying to game the system, but even a 4-year old would know that when trading/swapping things with others (in this case trips with other FAs) caveat emptor still applies.

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

And remind us what major F/A group the IAM currently represents? The CO agreement was a company wish list agreement similar to the terms that would be extended if they were unorganized, high bases, few and weak rules, etc. How well did the IAM members at TWA fare ? I hope the DL F/As see the UA CBA and see the IAM's fine leaders and what they can produce, since after all the UA agreement was "monumental" in their words.

Josh

 
Touche.

 

[Kev3188]

Comical, the card drive is close to two years for inflight.

You may find it comical. Our employer does not...
 
 

and we have an IAM campaign in Amsterdam..... perhaps you or someone can explain why the IAM is setting up a campaign in AMS... so far as I know (which may not be everything) DL doesn't have any AMS based FAs.

Really?

How 'bout for the same reason NRT sees a lot of campaigning...
 
 

This article is from more than seven months ago, why are you posting it now?

'Cause it's relevant?

Well, you of all people, the champion of the RLA should know collective bargaining agreements do not expire, they become amendable. In this case the majority prevailed and wanted to decertify the AFA and have no representation. Such weak scholarship on this reporters part,

Agreed on the reporter's poor choice of words. For those that may not know, once the election results were final, all CBA's on the property were voided.
 
 
 

but again didn't the same Star Tribune write the article on ready reserve rife with misinformation and half truths? Perhaps they are playing into their readership nostalgic that the former NWA is now long gone?

Josh

I didn't see any "misinformation" or "half truths" in that article.

 

[WorldTraveler]

DL does not have any AMS based FAs right? DL did have NRT based FAs at the time of the AFA campaign there. I'm trying to understand the reason for a campaign in AMS. Why not LHR or CDG? or better yet in the U S of A.