full: (_http://www.wtop.com/?sid=2029589&nid=111_ (http://www.wtop.com/?sid=2029589&nid=111) )
November 18, 2010 - 4:07pm MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Unions lost their second big vote at Delta Air Lines on Thursday, with fleet service workers rejecting the union that had represented the same group at Northwest Airlines. The voting by 13,104 baggage handlers and other fleet service workers ended with 52.5 percent of them voting for no union, according the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that runs airline union elections. Delta is mostly non-union except its pilots. But labor got a foot in the door when Delta absorbed heavily unionized Northwest in 2008. The election that ended Thursday was to see whether the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers would represent the combined workers, or none of them. Roughly 5,000 of those Delta workers had come from Northwest. The IAM is also aiming to represent some 16,500 customer service workers such as gate agents and ticket-sellers. Voting for that group, which includes roughly 5,000 from Northwest, ends Dec. 7. Voting for about 700 stock and stores clerks ends Monday. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA narrowly lost its bid to represent about 20,000 Delta workers earlier this month. The AFA has claimed that Delta interfered in the voting, which Delta denied. Union spokeswoman Corey Caldwell said the union expects to file its allegations with the mediation board next week. Delta said it would make pay and work rules the same for workers who came from Delta and their colleagues who came from Northwest once it knows whether the IAM will challenge the election. IAM spokesman Joseph Tiberi said the union is "investigating allegations from Delta workers of illegal election interference," but didn't say whether it would file to challenge the outcome. Delta had mounted an extensive campaign that unions said was aimed at encouraging votes against representation. The airline said that Thursday's result means that votes covering some 40,000 workers have rejected union representation. Also on Thursday, the pilot union at Delta elected Detroit-based 767 captain Tim O'Malley as chairman of its Master Executive Council. O'Malley has worked for Delta since 1990, and was a F-4 pilot in the Air Force. O'Malley and other new officers for the Delta branch of the Air Line Pilots Association begin their new roles Jan. 1. O'Malley replaces outgoing chairman Lee Moak, who was elected ALPA president last month. Shares of Atlanta-based Delta rose 46 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $13.67 in afternoon trading, with most of the gain coming before the vote result was announced. (Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) By JOSHUA FREED AP Airlines Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Unions lost their second big vote at Delta Air Lines on Thursday, with fleet service workers rejecting the union that had represented the same group at Northwest Airlines. The voting by 13,104 baggage handlers and other fleet service workers ended with 52.5 percent of them voting for no union, according the National Mediation Board, the federal agency that runs airline union elections. Delta is mostly non-union except its pilots. But labor got a foot in the door when Delta absorbed heavily unionized Northwest in 2008. The election that ended Thursday was to see whether the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers would represent the combined workers, or none of them. Roughly 5,000 of those Delta workers had come from Northwest. The IAM is also aiming to represent some 16,500 customer service workers such as gate agents and ticket-sellers. Voting for that group, which includes roughly 5,000 from Northwest, ends Dec. 7. Voting for about 700 stock and stores clerks ends Monday. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA narrowly lost its bid to represent about 20,000 Delta workers earlier this month. The AFA has claimed that Delta interfered in the voting, which Delta denied. Union spokeswoman Corey Caldwell said the union expects to file its allegations with the mediation board next week. Delta said it would make pay and work rules the same for workers who came from Delta and their colleagues who came from Northwest once it knows whether the IAM will challenge the election. IAM spokesman Joseph Tiberi said the union is "investigating allegations from Delta workers of illegal election interference," but didn't say whether it would file to challenge the outco _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list Marxist-Leninist-List@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
