Blue Notes: Volume 11

The Disappearing Full-Time Line

It appears that Delta is moving toward a lower percentage of full time ramp bid lines. In MSP, the spring bid was 449 40-hour lines and 126 “less-than” lines. The winter bid has 450 full-time lines and 264 “less-than” lines. That’s a massive increase in “less-than” lines.

It’s happening in other stations as well. This was sent to us from a ramp agent in Detroit:

“So it’s bid time in DTW, and it’s really bad for full-time lines, meaning 40 hours a week. This is the deal… you can bid a 24 or 32 hour line and stay over every day and get your 40 hours, but you also lose vacation and PPT time. Is this happening in every station or just DTW?”

And in Los Angeles:

“Not just MSP or DTW. Workers in LAX are pissed. At a recent union social event for Delta workers, this was the hot topic. As one worker explained, ‘If you go from 40 hours to 32 hours, you lose 20% of your vacation and PPT accruals a year. Even if I can work 40 hours by coming in early, this is a disrespectful pay cut. So much for the ‘direct relationship.’”

In union contracts, the percentage of full-time lines is guaranteed in writing. Every station has a union bid committee to oversee the bid. Your vacation and other accruals are guaranteed in writing. If you are angry about the winter bid, it’s time to sign a union card and get involved.

Stakes Are Sky High In Historic Delta Union Battle

Our campaign is historic.

Our coalition with Delta AFA and Teamsters could change how the labor movement organizes.

Check out this important article about our union campaign.

Read the story in Capital and Main here.

Joanne Smith Replies To Ramp, Cargo and Tower Union Organizing Committee. Public Debate Next?

In late August, MSP Ramp Agent Dan McCurdy wrote to Delta Human Resources Vice President Joanne Smith asking her for four simple things:

Respect our federally guaranteed right to organize for a union without interference. Respect the law, respect us.
Allow IAM union representatives on the floor to freely share information and answer questions regarding the union.
Allow workers to share union literature and have discussions about the union in non-work areas during non-work times free from harassment and intimidation.
Respect your own values as laid out in the Rules of The Road.

Scan the QR code or go to iam4.me/deltavpletter to read Dan’s full letter. [INSERT QR CODE]

Smith has replied, but not really responded: Smith’s full reply.

McCurdy and the Delta Workers Organizing Committee feel that there would be the greatest value to us, as employees, to have a public debate on whether union representation would serve us best.

🔗 Dan to VP Smith.

DTW Crackdown

Management has informed the ramp that they will be cracking down on people who miss flights. According to one ramp agent there, the main reason flights are waiting for parks and waiting to be unloaded is because of short staffing.

“It’s pretty hard to work an inbound when you’re still in the bin of another assigned flight,” said one agent.

Instead of discipline, how about more staffing? Especially if safety is priority No. 1.