Delta Airlines 2002-2009: A Trail of Broken Promises
Between union representation elections, management sweet talk turned to harsh cuts in pay, benefits and working conditions.
Delta flight attendants, who worked to win representation in 2002, and again in 2008, will tell you that the company pulled out all the stops in trying to defeat the union campaign. During the campaigns, management promised to give flight attendants industry-leading pay and benefits and to improve working conditions. But, as Delta flight attendant Carol Cragg documents in an exhaustive study of what Delta flight attendants have lost over the years, Delta executives went back on their promises as soon as the representation campaign had ended.
• In July 2002, just months after representation was voted down, Delta changed work rules to require flight attendants to wait longer in the case of trip cancellation, in order to be pay-protected.
• The next month, executives notified flight attendants that they would face changes in benefits.
• On Aug. 15, 2002, a new sick leave policy was announced that required doctors’ notes with diagnosis for all sick calls before or after holidays, vacations and leaves.
• The benefit cuts implemented in January 2003 included higher deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses for health care.
• In March of that year, Delta closed five bases – Houston, New Orleans, Chicago O’Hare, Portland and Seattle – and initially offered New York City as the only option for transfer. After the transfers…several bases opened up and the strategy was believed to be, to encourage those who did not want to transfer to NYC…. to retire.
• On July 1, 2003, the company unilaterally converted the defined benefits pension plan to a cash balance plan, which favors younger flight attendants at the expense of their older colleagues. Only those people who are deemed "Eligible Transition Participants" can retire under the old traditional pension plan. All others will retire under the cash balance plan, and eventually only 401K, significantly cutting benefits for future retirees.
• The years 2004 and 2005 brought substantial cuts, beginning with the elimination of all Credit Rigs that were not Federal Air Regulations. Eliminated were the 30 in 7, 1 for 2, 1 for 4,8 in 24 as well as the Minutes Under by Segment Credit Rig.
• The availability of a hotel room on mid-day sits went from 5 to 6 hours.
• In early 2004, Delta eliminated the 6th week of vacation, and changed the traditional sick leave to a “certified sick leave bank,” with five uncertified days paid at five and-a-half hours a day, or 27-and a-half hours accrued annually.
• In July 2004, Delta moved from a Base Pay/Flight Pay system to a “Blended Pay” system, which resulted in less pay for most flight attendants.
• Auxiliary flight attendants were paid approximately $2 less per hour on all pay levels under the Blended Pay system.
• Delta also changed the bidding system from traditional line bidding to a “preferential bidding system” that negates seniority.
• Delta also eliminated the traditional reserve system (with a ready and call-in reserve), replacing it with a “Full Ready Reserve A-Day System,” increasing those effected by reserve from about 10 percent to more than 50 percent at some bases.
• Originally adays were unpaid if one did not fly. Basically a “free” reserve system.
• The beginning of 2005 brought a 10 percent pay cut, followed by another pay cut in November of 12 percent for top-scale flight attendants and 9 percent for all others.
• Longevity pay, international pay, night pay, delay pay and trips missed pay for vacations all were eliminated.
• Holding pay was reduced by 9 percent.
• Per Diem was reduced to $1.85 an hour, and to $2.40 an hour for transoceanic flights.
• Training pay for travel days was changed from 2 hours 45 minutes a day to a flat $50, and accident (OJI) leave was eliminated.
• Fewer vacation weeks were available in the peak flying months of May, July, August and December.
• The company froze the pension plan for noncontract employees on Dec. 31, 2005, after not contributing to the plan for years.
• The New Year 2006 brought the elimination of the auxiliary program, as well as the enhanced medical option. Another significant cut in health benefits.
• In March, Delta eliminated the 5th week of vacation for those who had not yet earned it and capped future vacation accrual at four weeks.
• On April 1, 2006, Delta eliminated authorized leave and replaced it with holiday pay for only 5 company-designated holidays, paid at $20/hr for hours FLOWN on holiday.
• Certified sick banks no longer could accrue time and became a fixed bank. Once exhausted is virtually impossible to replenish.
• Once certified sick leave was used, no more was available, thus driving up short-term disability costs.
• Employees were required to purchase Short-term Disability and eventually… Long Term disability.
• Also in April, Delta replaced non-certified time with Paid Personal Time, limiting an annual bank of 27.5 hours to be used for illness, injury and personal time.
• The company changed long-term disability to a plan that covered 50 percent of wages and the flight attendant could pay into the policy for up to 60 percent. Originally this was an automatic 60 percent with the ability to purchase additional insurance to 70 percent.
• On April 30 of that year, Delta closed the Miami base and, on May 1, opened Alternate Flying Program bases, where flight attendants were subject to more stringent criteria than those in mainline bases – including a file review, no Disciplinary Probations or Final Warnings within the previous 4 years, no Warning Letters in the previous 12 months, and no Failure To Cover occurrences in the previous 12 months.
In 2007, preparing for another union vote, Delta gave a 4 percent base pay raise and announced the restoration of several previous cuts, including the 1 for 3.5 and 1 for 2 duty rigs (but it only covered duty day and not the entire time on duty with minimum rest). It also increased sick leave from 27:30 hours to 42:00 hours per year and increased PPT day pay from 5:30 hours to 6:00.
In 2008,
• Delta switched to United Health care as medical insurer offering high-deductible plans that made health care too expensive for many flight attendants.
• It also announced that PPT days used for scheduled trips would be paid at "trips missed".
• In June, Delta changed its administrative action guidelines, announcing that all disciplinary actions would be maintained in personnel files for the duration of employment at the carrier.
Delta started the New Year 2009 by giving non-contract employees a 3 percent raise, seeking to blunt discussions about representation.
We had come full circle at Delta again.
A new representation campaign meant that the sweet talk would replace the blunt axe, for as long as necessary.
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It is staggering how much we have lost…and we, at 14 years later are not much better than we were in 2001…there have been improvements but even though we have posted record breaking after record breaking profits and still lag behind in many areas.
Our pay and benefits have never been restored, where other departments/airlines have seen their quality of life brought back to where it was…and in many cases improved.
But really, the most significant issue and the point of this post…these changes were IMPOSED on us…there was no discussion about which we wanted to retain or eliminate…. and it can happen again.
Having a voice is the only way to ensure your future is secure.
