Delta Interfered with Fair Election, AFA-CWA Charges

Delta Air Lines management engaged in tactics that interfered with the flight attendants' ability to have a fair and free union election, AFA-CWA stated in formal interference charges it filed this week with the National Mediation Board, which governs labor relations in the airline industry. The union's allegations include substantial evidence that the airline employed aggressive tactics designed to defeat the workers' campaign for representation.

"Delta flight attendants were denied the opportunity to freely participate in this election," stated AFA-CWA President Patricia Friend. A majority of the airline's 13,000 flight attendants signed cards supporting union representation when AFA-CWA filed for an election last February. When the election began, the airline launched a campaign to suppress the vote, urging workers to tear up their official balloting information from the NMB as soon as they received it.

In its filing with the agency, AFA-CWA is asking for a new election with a "Laker" balloting procedure that would limit the effects of any further illegal conduct by Delta management. By re-running the election under this procedure, flight attendants would be permitted to vote either "Yes" or "No" for a union, with a majority of those voting determining union representation. Under the previous, and traditional, airline election procedure, workers either vote "Yes" or write in the name of another union. Those not choosing to participate are counted as "No" votes.