Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend us your ears:
Item 1
Today is payday. While we are not telling you anything that
you do not already know, we want to dig a little deeper into the
significance of your paycheck.
Right now, the media is discussing the possibility of U.S. Airways
filing for bankruptcy. Additionally, U.S. Airways management
is planning to apply for U.S. Government guaranteed loans.
U.S. Airways is not the only carrier seeking these loans.
United Airlines CEO Jack Creighton has announced that United is planning
to file for the government bail-out loans as well.
Loans are not the only component of these companies' fight to become
profitable. Both companies are seeking concessions from its
unions to try to reduce labor costs. Without these concessions,
these two companies will have trouble competing with low cost carriers
like Southwest, Air Tran, Jet Blue, and Frontier.
As we look at our paychecks, we should remember that we work for a
stable company that is well positioned to thrive in this
future.
The AFA represented flight attendants at US Airways and United are
likely looking at paychecks that will get smaller in the near term. Possibly,
their airline careers could end. Even the United
MEC Website is discussing bankruptcy.
We acknowledge that working for Delta has its problems. There is
room for improvement. In the midst of all our complaining about
piggy-backing and cap days, we should remember the bottom line. With
the possible exception of Southwest, we were the least impacted by
the financial fallout from the events of 9-11 and the subsequent industry
downturn. As our peers at U.S. Airways and United look forward
to an uncertain future, we should remember that our paychecks and our
careers in this industry are secure.
To learn more about what is happening in our industry, we suggest that
you subscribe to the ATA
Smart Brief. If you subscribe, the ATA Smart Brief will be
e-mailed to you every business day. Then, you can write these
updates for us.
Item 2
Speaking of being knowledgeable about our industry, On Board Leaders
received an e-mail from IFS Communication on Friday, May 10, 2002.
It described a class on business literacy entitled "Our Airline, Our
Business." Basically, it seeks to give us a better
understanding of the industry and Delta's finances. We think that
you should consider attending one of the sessions.
One of the strategies of any organizing campaign is to distort issues
that employees do not understand. A company's financial
decision making is often a target. When employees do not see the
financial big picture, unions build support by distorting facts and
causing confusion. Hopefully, this class will give you a better
understanding of how a company works in this industry. This
will allow you to better analyze the AFA's information.
In any event, Delta will be paying us all $100.00 to
attend. (Just think, that is almost three months of AFA union
dues).
If any of you have attended this seminar, please drop us an e-mail to
let us know what you thought about it.
Item 3
Still no word on the results of the National Mediation Board
investigation into the AFA's charges of interference. As we know, prima
facie does not mean that Delta interfered with laboratory
conditions. It just means that the AFA's allegations warrant further
investigation to find out if there was actual interference.
When the NMB renders its decision, we will post it on this site.
Item 4
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Item 5
". . .
bitch, and fuss, and piss, and . . . . . . " I
Used to Love Her, Guns and Roses
Examining recent AFA communications, we think that this must be the new
theme of AFA communications these days. For example:
- Have you recently visited Delta AFA's premier method of
communicating with Delta flight attendants? If not, we suggest
that you renew your
subscription to the AFA Jointogether listserv. Jointogether
is not published regularly anymore, but it can be entertaining when it
is published. It also lives up the AFA's current theme.
- The United AFA code-a-phone seems to follow this theme as
well. Click here
to read 1-800-DEARAFA online
- Regardless of your opinion about the pilots being allowed to carry
guns in the cockpit, the AFA's position on this issue is amusing and
right on theme. Read the article in the Washington
Post. Basically, the AFA position is that pilots should not
be allowed to have guns unless pilots are required to
come out of the cockpit to defend flight attendants with the
guns. Even those that support pilots carrying guns
in the cockpit do not think that it is wise for a pilot to leave the
controls of the aircraft, open the cockpit door, and attempt our
rescue. The AFA's position is emotional, not rational.
- Well, here is the latest AFA example of this theme. If the pilots
get guns, the AFA wants us to carry 16 inch metal batons. You
have to read it to believe it. Note: while the
AFA whines, union free Delta flight attendants are already attending
paid self defense training.
Item 6
We came across this bit of information last month, and we thought that
you would enjoy reading some items from the proposed 2002 AFA annual
budget. These items are directly related to us:
$625,000 to fund the Delta organizing campaign from the time it lost
until June 2002.
Keeping the Organizing Department Director on salary for the entire
year. (Well, deltafa.org supports this item. We would have to go and get
a real hobby without her.)
$54,000 for a "GOTVD" campaign
if the NMB makes a finding of interference and authorized a re-run
election using a "Laker" ballot.
$26,000 for a telephone poll of Delta flight attendants to try to gauge
AFA support in a re-run election. (We would tell them for free)
$43,000 per year for the lease on the AFA Organizing Headquarters
near Hartsfield. This lease expires in 2003.
If these figures are indeed correct, Delta flight attendants are still
costing the line AFA flight attendant a significant amount of
money. It is time to stop the madness.
Item 7
Last month, deltafa.org was sent a virus via e-mail. We practice
"safe e-mail," so we were not infected. Being optimists,
we assumed that maybe the person sending the virus did it by
mistake. When we replied with an e-mail letting the person know that
his or her computer was infected, we received no reply. Therefore,
we consider this a malicious virus attack on deltafa.org.
Apparently, someone does not like our politics.
This highlights the need for everyone to have an up-to-date anti-virus
program installed on their computer. These programs are cheap,
effective, and prevent your computer from being infected - either by
accident or on purpose by some loser with an e-mail address of wesfl@yahoo.com.
Item 8
A re run of an item from the last update.
If you are a UAL flight attendant and have not
found the new message board, visit the Private
UAL Flight Attendant Message Board
Item 9
Paranoid, or are they really out
to get her????
Deltafa.org is sure that the following passage makes the rank and file
AFA member confident in the leadership of AFA International. Enjoy
the following excerpt from an interview with AFA International President
Patricia Friend:
Question: You have been one of the most outspoken critics of the
efforts to improve airport and airline security since the Sept. 11
attacks. Why take this approach, and what has been the fallout?
Answer: I've actually accused the FAA of putting me on some kind
of watch list (emphasis added), because the random hand searches and
extra security I underwent in the months right after the attacks was
pretty much at every stop.
Actually Pat, it wasn't the FAA, it was those darned union
busters. They are everywhere, you know.
Read the rest of the article on the Cincinnatti
Enquirer website
Item 10
Thanks for checking in. As always, if you hear or see something
that would be a good basis for an article, let us know.
Fly safe,
deltafa.org
