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For years, Delta's flight attendants and flight attendants – employees who, among other things, load and unload the company's planes and push them through the door – are trying to organize. And for years, Delta tries to dissuade them, say the workers. A series of anti-union posters distributed by the company became viral this week after journalist Eoin Higgins posted a photo of one of the leaflets on Twitter, provoking outrage at the company's efforts to prevent workers from getting caught. unionize.
"Union dues cost around $ 700 a year," says a leaflet. "A new video game system with the latest hits seems fun. Spend your money on it instead of paying dues to the union. "Other posters tell employees that they could buy" tickets and food for a baseball game for a family "or spend" a night watching football with their mates "instead of paying the union rights.
James Carlson, coordinator of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – an organization by which flight attendants and flight attendants attempt to organize. – I said that the tactics of the company was not new. "Delta is probably one of the most anti-union companies in the world," he said. "They hired consultants to lead anti-union campaigns. The leaflet that you saw and that caused so much hubbub is only the visible part of the tactics used by Delta. "
According to Carlson, Delta sent these flyers to rest rooms for flight attendants and crew members. (Flight attendants and runway crews are trying to organize two separate unions, Delta's pilots and regulators are already unionized.) The ramp's employees say Delta has limited the number hours worked by part-time employees and does not provide them with adequate health insurance. Fast Company reported Thursday – but Delta will not recognize the union. Two grievances that workers want to deal with as part of a union contract.
As Splinter reported in 2018, Delta also created a website, DontRiskItDontSignIt.com, in which the company warned employees that unionization might cause them to lose their benefits. In the meantime, Delta's revenues and profits are increasing.
These tactics are by no means limited to Delta. Last September, Gizmodo obtained an anti-union video provided by Amazon to managers in its distribution centers, in which it encouraged them to warn their subordinates of the dangers of unionization, one of which posed a "threat to society" . [fulfillment center’s] continued existence "and therefore their jobs. Target, Walmart and Lowe's have all posted similar videos online. The San Francisco-based Anchor Brewing Co. brewery tried to dissuade workers from joining the union by telling them to start paying their dues even before the union and the company could agree on a contract between other tactics, reported HuffPost in March. And last year Elon Musk suggested (via Twitter, of course) that unionization would make Tesla's employees lose their stock options.
In a statement to Vox, Delta claimed that the posters were a way to educate employees about the risks of becoming a member of a union:
I can confirm that this poster is one of the many pieces of content available to our employees and was produced by Delta a year ago. Specific questions are available in the employee work room in the rooms.
Our direct relationship with our employees is at the heart of our strong culture and has allowed continued investment in Delta employees. Our employees enjoy the best total compensation in the industry, including the most lucrative profit-sharing program in the world. They want and deserve the facts and we respect the right of our employees to decide if a union is right for them. Delta has shared many communications that, as a whole, make it clear that deciding whether or not to join a union should not be taken lightly.
But advocates of unionization view flyers as a way to threaten employees, not to educate them. On Twitter, reactions to the anti-union leaflets were decidedly negative, with some people making fun of the company's attempt to seem friendly while trying to prevent employees from joining the union. "Personally, union dues also buy health insurance, a stronger network to find work and stay informed about current technologies, as well as a 401k and a pension", a Twitter user wrote. "So $ 700 well spent.
The AFL-CIO has also made a joke mocking the Delta posters. "The construction of a guillotine costs only $ 1,200," reads in the tweet. "The Delta CEO earned $ 13.2 million last year. Go out with your friends, share beers – it looks fun. This tweet has since been deleted.
"[Workers have] become so numb at that. It is this ongoing attack of degrading and demoralizing messages intended to reverse the organizing effort, "said Carlson, the organizer. "The workers are really excited and they are happy that the audience was able to look behind the curtain at Delta and see what's going on behind the scenes. The outrage expressed by the public has invigorated the employees. "
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