Delta Connection Flight Attendants To Vote On Strike

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leadership of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) at Compass Airlines today called for a strike vote, following 31 months of negotiations that have failed to reach an agreement.  Contract talks began in March 2010 and negotiations have been in mediation since October 2011, under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board (NMB).

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"Compass Flight Attendants are determined to reach an agreement that provides fair wages, working conditions and benefits. It is time Flight Attendants have a contract that recognizes our work as first responders. Compass Flight Attendants will not settle for a substandard contract – we need a living wage," said Catriona Bagley, AFA President at Compass. "We are committed to making the company a top-of-the-industry performer, but management continues to stall progress for our airline. Compass management has repeatedly declined, delayed, or canceled available dates for negotiations. Management chose a path that led to this strike authorization vote.  If management continues to choose obstruction over cooperation, then they should be prepared for CHAOS™."

Under the Railway Labor Act, airline negotiations must continue unless the NMB declares an impasse. Arbitration may be offered, but if declined by the parties, a 30-day cooling off period is announced after which the Flight Attendants may strike. CHAOS, or Create Havoc Around Our System™, is AFA's trademarked strike strategy that can disrupt airline travel via intermittent work stoppages, without notice.

Compass, a Delta Connection carrier, provides approximately 190 daily flights to over 50 Delta Air Lines destinations.  Compass Airlines is a wholly owned by Trans States Holdings of St. Louis and is headquartered in Minneapolis.

The Association of Flight Attendants is the world's largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 67 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions.  Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants and retired members come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org and www.rafa-cwa.org.

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO