NMB Decision to Trigger Election Countdown

The National Mediation Board (NMB) is currently weighing a request from the IAM to declare that Delta and Northwest are operating as a single carrier in the Fleet Service and Passenger Service classifications. A single carrier ruling by the NMB will initiate the final steps in the government’s formal process leading to secret ballot elections for employees in each classification.

Immediately following the single carrier ruling, a clock begins ticking on a 14-day countdown for the IAM to demonstrate there is enough support among employees of each classification to warrant an election. NMB guidelines require support from at least 35 percent of each combined classification before an election will be scheduled.

At the close of the 14-day period, the IAM will submit all election request cards from pre-merger Delta workers to the NMB, which, combined with the IAM’s existing representation at pre-merger Northwest, will determine if the required threshold has been met. If all NMB requirements have been met, the board will then schedule a secret ballot election and resolve any disputes regarding voter eligibility.

While the process moves quickly following a single carrier ruling, the NMB is under no deadline to complete its work and schedule an election period. The elections at Delta will be among the largest in NMB history, with more than 30,000 employees receiving instructions by mail about how to securely cast their vote by phone or internet.

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