jsled

ATLANTA (TheStreet) -- Largely union-free for 80 years, Delta(DAL Quote) is flying into the toughest, most crucial labor battles it has ever faced.
In October 2008, Delta merged with heavily unionized Northwest, bringing thousands of union members into the tent. The following month, Democrat Barack Obama was elected president, enabling him to alter the composition of the National Mediation Board, which oversees airline industry labor issues. Obviously, both events involve potential drawbacks for Delta. Over the past few decades, unions have repeatedly made runs at Delta, an outlier in one of the country's most unionized industries. As an example, Northwest was 96% unionized at the time of the merger. At Delta, only pilots and dispatchers, or 15% of workers, are unionized.
Now, two of the airline industry's biggest unions, which for the moment continue to represent thousands of Northwest workers, are organizing at Delta and gearing up for a series of elections. The stakes are extraordinarily high, because if the unions lose, they not only fail to gain new members but also lose members they already have.
"If Delta is the largest airline in the world, then we are going to be the largest union at the largest airline in the world," says Robert Roach, general vice president of the International Association of Machinists. "With the support we have both from current Northwest members and from Delta employees who have shown interest in organizing, we think we have a good chance of winning these elections."
Unlike the IAM, the Association of Flight Attendants has a benchmark by which to gauge its prospects. It staged a union election at Delta in May and won support from about 5,300 of the 13,400 eligible flight attendants. "As in every organizing campaign, we built support and structure," says Ed Gilmartin, AFA general counsel. Now the list of eligible voters has expanded by about 7,000 Northwest flight attendants. "We are very optimistic," Gilmartin said.

iceman49

So, what's your point?

TOGA LK

I doubt the NMB will allow the rules to change. Just like the FAA will never implement a rule requiring an ATP to pull gear at a regional, conflict between big corporation (money) and doing the right thing (safety).

jsled

They don't have to change the rules. Just treat the Railway Labor Act with a little more balance.

goaround2000

I'm sorry, I'm also failing to see the point you're trying to illustrate. Maybe you could be a bit more clear on what you're trying to convey.

Ziggy

Because of the quantity of airline service, and also of deregulation. Airlines should be removed from the RLA, and left to their own devices.

jsled

It is an article from "The Street" about the airline industry. I have no "point" other than to underline the fact that "The Street" and most other pro business publications conclude that a change is coming in Airline labor relations due to a change in the National Mediation Board.

iceman49

A good change or bad?

goaround2000

Sorry, I thought you were trying to make a point. I suppose it's a good summary of everything that has been reported over the course of the past year. There will be reform in multiple fronts of our industry, NNB, rest requirements, minimum entry requirements, which are bound to create re-structure in the airline's business plan. That being said, I really don't care how much money it will cost any of the carrier's, like the music industry, they got to write their ticket long enough, well, it will be nice for them to conform to change in the interest of safety and the employees that support the infrastructure.

goaround

GW258

The article implies a more union leaning workforce than has been before.

The OP was just passing it on.

Probably wasted hope with todays airline workforce that keeps "hoping it will get better".