Call to Action Comes After Long History of Union Busting by Major Carrier

(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters commend 145 members of  the U.S. House of Representatives for sending a letter to Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian for the company to commit to a neutrality agreement to not interfere with organizing drives at the carrier.

“Delta wants lawmakers to believe it’s a well-behaved employer, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Delta Air Lines, which pockets more revenue than any other airline in the world, has responded to our union campaign with retaliation, coercion, threats, and misinformation. Delta might not want 45,000 nonunion workers to secure union protections, better benefits, and higher wages — but workers are organizing and flexing their muscles whether the executives like it or not.”

The Teamsters are currently organizing Delta technicians and related crafts as part of a coalition mobilizing workers at the carrier. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) is signing up flight attendants and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is supporting ramp, cargo, and tower workers in forming their union.

“We understand that Delta employees announced a coordinated campaign to organize a union in November 2022, including Delta flight attendants, fleet service workers, and technicians,” the letter from House representatives said. “Unfortunately, our constituents have informed us about Delta’s history of deploying union-busting tactics, including threatening employees with termination of their benefits, distributing anti-union literature and hosting an anti-union website. These retaliatory actions are hostile to workers’ rights, and we urge you to commit to implementing a neutrality agreement with regard to these union organizing efforts.”

A delegation of Delta Air Lines workers and representatives from the Teamsters, AFA, and the IAM met with the House Labor Caucus last month to discuss issues at the carrier. Last year, shareholders at the company voted down a freedom of association proposal regarding workers’ rights to unions — a proposal the other three major carriers in the U.S. have already agreed to.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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