Machinists File Suit Against Delta Air Lines

The IAM and District 143 filed a lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court to prevent Delta Air Lines from illegally moving forward with seniority integration plans until after there is a lawful representation election among the employees of Northwest and Delta.
 
The IAM lawsuit charges Delta with attempting to bypass the Railway Labor Act, which governs collective bargaining in the railway and airline industries, as part of Delta's campaign to eliminate union representation at the new combined carrier.

Before the parties can lawfully enter into negotiations over seniority integration, federal law requires certain procedures take place which include the National Mediation Board making a lawful determination as to what the proper crafts and classes are that will be integrated; finding that the two carriers are a single carrier for the affected crafts and classes and ordering representational elections.  Only after this federally mandated procedure is complete and the IAM is certified to represent the combined crafts and classes can negotiations over seniority integration lawfully take place.

Specifically, the lawsuit charges Delta with interfering with employees' free choice of representatives; interfering with the IAM as the certified representative of Northwest employees; and undermining the IAM’s campaign to represent the employees of both Northwest and Delta. The suit also charges Delta with attempting to establish an illegal company-dominated union for purposes of the seniority integration process.
 
This lawsuit is part of the IAM’s ongoing effort to protect Northwest and Delta employees from Delta management's interference with employees choosing union protection at the combined carrier.  The IAM currently represents more than 12,500 employees at Northwest Airlines. Additional information is posted at www.iam143.org.