DL Terminates Labor Activist Kip Hedges

[700UW]

Its apparent the banker is clueless on what unions are truly about.
 
A union's goal is to grow and you grow by organizing, its the staple of every union.
 
And no member would have an issue with hiring Kip.
 
Do the members vote on who is hired at non-representational personnel?
 
No thats not what a union is about, I dont hire the secretary, the janitor or the mail room clerk, those are all paid out of union dues.
 
And a motto of the labor movement:
 

An Injury to one, is an Injury to All!​

 

[737823]

And if this was a media event (ie a reporter seeking comment on an incident), I might agree with you.

But it wasn't, so your conclusion is invalid.

How many warnings are considered "ample?" If you want to bring up the time he was quoted in the Star-Trib, then let's remember the company agreed he violated no policies.

What if there were NO warnings? Then what?

 

To argue against their support of a wronged worker would be to argue for the at-will doctrine, and a company's ability to do as they please with people's careers. I think most IAM members would agree that this is an investment worth making. I certainly would've when I was a member.

 
 
He is an at will employee of DL they can terminate him at anytime for any or no reason. 
 
Why does Kip get special treatment and not those rampers in ATL from a video you posted who claimed they were wrongfully terminated?  
 
I'd be willing to bet that he will eventually get a position created for him at the Grand Lodge level regardless of how this or the DL drive plays out after all what is $100k (the going rate for IAM reps) to the union?  They can easily create a position and absorb that cost.
 
Josh

 

[robbedagain]

I sniff he will sue the crap out of DL for wrongful termination      He already has the IAM backing and support    What he did he did not deserve to be fired  but then again its DL and they can and will do as they see fit   That's why DL is the Walmart of the airlines

 

[737823]

I do wonder if the IAM would fund a similar appeal for action taken against a member for speaking out against the union/international. Did they offer support to Jay Cronk to get his international role back?

There was a case with the UAW and the Louisville KY Ford local and they terminated a local officer for speaking against the Ford concessions (outside bankruptcy) and going against the internationals position. Very similar to the IAM 777X concessions re-vote at Boeing last January.

Josh

 

[700UW]

Jay Cronk was represented by the IAM reps association, so he had a grievance procedure to follow.

 

[737823]

Deleted.

 

[Phoenix]

I hope he gets pissed and uses all his new found free time to successfully unionizes ALL the non-union labor at Delta.  

 

[Kev3188]

(Bump)

Lawsuit filed...

http://www.startribune.com/delta-baggage-handler-says-pay-union-advocacy-cost-him-his-job/305515321/

 

[WorldTraveler]

thanks for the update, Kev.

but honestly, if all he is asking for is $75K, the case is finished esp. since he is apparently on workman's comp.

$75K is a year's salary and benefits for a topped out employee. He doesn't apparently even seek reinstatement.


DL will assert it has the legal right to hold its employees to their own policies but a $75K settlement doesn't speak terribly loudly to major wrongdoing on DL's part.

 

[eolesen]

Hedges’ lawsuit asks a judge to find Delta in violation of the Railway Labor Act, grant him compensation for lost wages and benefits, and award punitive damages of more than $75,000.

The value of a ruling showing DL in violation of the RLA would be worthwhile. The monetary damages they're seeking seems awfully low, though.

 

[700UW]

WF,
 
Learn to read and comprehend, he isnt asking for just $75,000.
 

Hedges’ lawsuit asks a judge to find Delta in violation of the Railway Labor Act, grant him compensation for lost wages and benefits, and award punitive damages of more than $75,000.
 

 

[WorldTraveler]

the monetary damages sought in a case are almost always tied to a believe in how wrong the company is believed to be.

Kip likely had many years of employment left if he wanted it.

Based on the article, he is not even seeking future lost salary or reinstatement.

If DL was really guilty, he would have no problem winning those things.

If he is on workman's comp, what he can gain is even smaller if the workman's comp is related to his DL employment. His lost salary and benefits are not worth even $75K esp. if he is on workman's comp.

If the punitive amount was significantly above $75,000, it would say so. It is doubtful it is more than $80K which is still a very low amount for punitive damages.

The value of this lawsuit is very small for an accusation of wrongdoing on DL's part.

His lawyer likely told him to try for what he can get and make it small enough that DL will just call it a nuisance filing and settle.

 

[700UW]

Spin and deflect.
 
So you are an expert on this case?

 

[WorldTraveler]

nope... just like E, I am simply noting that the amount seems quite low.

I am saying that if Kip had as solid of a case as you want to make it out to be, he would be asking for the moon and likely would be getting a big chunk of it.

He is asking for relative pocket change in a case that is supposed to involve wrongful termination of a topped out, senior employee. The absence of any request for future lost wages or reinstatement is very telling.

 

[700UW]

You cant ask for the moon, and it cant be excessive.