Setting the record straight.
I've been hearing some talk about what happened to me at Delta. I have nothing to hide. Never have. I don't live in the shadows.
I started with Delta Jun 25 1990, as a TPT Res Sales Agent in SLC. I had recently finished 4 years in the US Army. I was a SGT. I was a student at the University of Utah. After 11 months as a domestic agent I was converted to full time and given a lateral transfer as an INTL Agent after Delta purchased Pan Am's Atlantic routes. This is because I speak Swedish, and Stockholm was one of our new destinations. After 11 more months I transferred to the ATL airport to work as a Scandinavian speaking INTL ACS Agent. 7.5 happened so at the urging of some of my coworkers I applied for In Flight. Admittedly, I'm an accidental flight attendant.
My initial training class was the first all-company transfer class in Delta's history. 124 people. We are the first class in Delta history with a 100% graduation rate (even though one FA lost his father during training, he still graduated). One woman sacrificed 26 years of seniority to become a FA.
We had pagers and 40 mins to report. We were all full-time ready reserve, with the exception of one Spanish speaker.
Delta was relatively new to NYC. It was only after Delta purchased Pan Am's routes that it was necessary to grow the NYC In Flight base. I stayed to fly out of NYC for 7 years. When I could hold a line in SLC I transferred back to my adopted home state.
During my tenure with Delta I was very vocal about being ANTI Union! I worked as an HR Supv. at JFK, as we were called then. It is only because of what I witnessed as a manager at Delta that I became fiercely PRO Union.
On Jul 1 2014, I retired. Delta gave me the option of resigning or retiring. If I didn't choose either of those options Delta would terminate my employment. After being terminated Joanne Smith, Sr. VP In Flight contacted my wife, Bridgette. Joanne flew Bridgette down to ATL at company expense and housed her in the Renaissance Hotel on the runway in ATL. Joanne took Bridgette out to dinner to discuss my termination - or so we thought. Bridgette has been quite closed mouth about what they discussed. I respect that and do not pry. Joanne told her it seemed I was done with working for Delta. She was correct. That's why I didn't even attempt to fight my termination. Full disclosure, I was on Final Warning, because of something deemed disrespectful I posted on 360. I referred to Richard Anderson as Dick Anderson and I posted to Rob Liston that his posts were thinly veiled attacks on his coworkers and immature. The moderator on 360 sent this into my base director. The post I made on this site is what sealed my fate. I posted about the MD90/88, again referred to Richard as Dick and made a very clear statement about the need for Union representation and probably because I used the "F" word. I'm not entirely certain. I was never told, because I never asked.
To be certain and I was told this by Delta, I was NOT terminated because of my work on the airplane or because of anything to do with my status as an employee. In 24 years Delta had never received a complaint from a customer about me. I have a file filled with good letters and job well done cards here at home. Not to brag, but to give you a clear picture of who I am, I was told during my exit interview from probation that I had received more coworker compliments than any other FA in my class. (sorry class mates, but it's true, LOL) Not to claim I've not had my bad days, as those who know me know!
Before being told of my termination I had a meeting with Toby Broberg and Michelle Parker. During this meeting (and during my career with many managers and VPs) I relayed stories of how I had been treated at Delta.
For example:
When my grandmother died I was on vacation in Utah. I called ATL because her funeral was a couple of days after my vacation ended. I told my Supv. I would have to stay in Utah a few days longer. His response was, "How convenient." I asked him what was "convenient"? He said, "Oh, nothing."
Many of you remember I was told by a FSM in the OCC when I was rerouted into my OFF day that, "A reroute can't be rerouted." I had called to let him know my reroute created a personal conflict as my wife was scheduled for heart surgery on my off day and I needed to be home to take her to the hospital and to be with her. This was in 2013.
And, on and on and on.....in truth, I had had enough. With no Union there was little I could do. Delta NEVER worked with me. After sharing these stories and more with Toby, Michelle, Joanne, Sandy, David, Cookie, Brian, Janet, etc. NOT one of them apologized or did anything to change things within Delta. (except Joanne Smith, who has apologized) I was asked, instead, if I only had negative stories about Delta. The employees who treat you and me this way still hold their managerial positions.
I do have positive stories. I enjoyed being a flight attendant, even with all those silly mean-spirited passengers. I loved working with such wonderful people. People who awed me, inspired me and made me laugh.
This job should be fun! We sacrifice a lot with our children, families, friends, animals, etc. to fly. We love to fly and, yes, it does show!
One last story, I sat STBY at LGA early on in my career. After 4 hours I was NOT released. I was given a sign in 30 mins after my 4 hour STBY. I asked a Supv. if I was going to be paid for that 4 hours. I was told, "No." Like most new flight attendants I was desperately broke! I needed that money! I was living with 4 other FAs in a one bedroom apt in Queens. I wrote a letter to Jenny Poole. I mentioned that not paying me for STBY was "immoral, unethical and probably illegal". A couple of weeks later I received a phone call from payroll. I was told I was going to be paid for my STBY and that the policy would be changed the following month. Do you know why? Because it IS ILLEGAL in NYC. Remember Delta was relatively new in NYC. They changed the pay policy for STBY because of the law, not because it was the right thing to do.
Now, those of you who feel I shouldn't be posting here or advocating that Delta flight attendants Unionize, I say "too bad". I'm here to stay. My wife is still a flight attendant with Delta and she deserves to be represented by the IAM.
