AFA-CWA Reiterates Support for 'Date of Hire' Seniority Integration

Following an arbitrator's announcement of a plan that will dictate seniority integration for pilots at the merged Delta-Northwest, AFA-CWA-represented flight attendants at Northwest Airlines have reiterated that "date of hire" seniority is the only fair way to integrate the Northwest and Delta Air Line flight attendant groups.

"Northwest flight attendants have a clear cut position regarding seniority integration which is fair and simple; date of hire," said Kevin Griffin, AFA-CWA Northwest President. "An honest integration process that respects our years of service enables the combined flight attendant group to come together even quicker and unite as we become the largest flight attendant group in the world."

The union filed a federal lawsuit against Delta in late November to prevent the airline from unilaterally using a management seniority integration process as a wedge issue to divide Delta and Northwest flight attendants and undermine the union before employees of the newly combined airline can vote on union representation.

AFA-CWA said the airline's seniority integration plan "constitutes unlawful interference with and influence over the choice of its employees' bargaining representative."   A representation election among all flight attendants at the merged airline is expected in 2009.