Delta Senate Ally Tries to Block Democratic Union Election Rules

Delta CEO Richard Anderson makes it clear whose side he's on.

Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson (R) tried to get the Senate to overturn the election rules that the National Mediation Board put in place June 1, establishing democratic procedures for union elections in the airline industry. Fortunately, a majority of Senators didn't agree.

Coincidentally, Isakson gets a lot of support from Delta Airlines CEO Richard Anderson. (Note Anderson's Isakson button in the photo)

Flight attendants at Delta and Northwest Airlines, now merged with Delta, will be voting soon on union representation. The 7,000 AFA-CWA flight attendants at Northwest don't want to lose the bargaining rights they've had for nearly 50 years; there is strong union support among the 13,000 Delta flight attendants as well. The voting period for Delta flight attendants is Sept. 29-Nov. 3.

Isakson pressed for a vote on the measure to block the NMB rules, but the Obama administration made it clear that it strongly opposed any efforts to undermine fundamental fairness in representation elections.

Delta and other airline executives prefer the old election rules which favored management, because workers who did not vote were counted as "Nos." The new rules apply the same democratic standard that is used in virtually every election for public office in the United States.

Some 2,900 agents at Piedmont Airlines will also be voting in a union representation election; the voting period is Oct. 7 to Nov. 4.