The fight for rights for Delta Air Lines cabin crew came to Europe this week, as grassroots activists kicked off a week of activities in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Monday 6 January.
The ITF-affiliated International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), based in the USA, have campaigned on organising for over a year at every Delta location in the USA. They want a vote on organising cabin crew at the airline, which is the world’s largest non-union carrier, and are urging Delta flight attendants to sign the authorisation cards necessary to call an election.
A key demand of the campaign is the issue of contracts – Delta cabin crew are ‘at-will’ employees who can be dismissed for any reason and are working without contracts. Delta pilots, on the other hand, have a union and are covered by contracts.
Activities in Amsterdam between 6 and 10 January will give Delta cabin crew the chance to learn more about the campaign and the benefits of joining a union.
ITF civil aviation secretary Gabriel Mocho welcomed the campaign’s European debut, saying: “The professionalism of cabin crew at Delta cannot be underestimated. These workers keep passengers safe every day of the year, yet each and every one of them could face the sack at zero notice. We welcome this campaign to raise awareness on the benefits of organisation, and offer our full support and backing to the campaign. We urge our affiliates to reach out to Delta cabin crew, to share their experiences of belonging to a union, and to help raise standards for them”.
Find out more about the IAM Delta campaign, and download your authorisation cards, at www.iamdelta.net
Stay up to date with the latest campaign news by liking IAM Delta’s Facebook page
Visit the ITF Delta campaign page at http://www.itfglobal.org/civil-aviation/atlanta.cfm