Delta Fleet Service Representation Election Results Upheld

National Mediation Board denies IAM's interference claims; airline begins process to align pay, benefits, work rules and seniority for below wing airport customer service and Cargo warehouse employees

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Delta Air Lines

Dec 07, 2011, 12:07 ET

ATLANTA, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today received notification from the National Mediation Board (NMB) that the Board has rejected claims of interference filed by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) following the November 2010 Delta fleet service representation election. With its ruling, the NMB has upheld the decision of a majority of voters to reject IAM representation, allowing Delta below wing airport customer service and Cargo warehouse people to move forward as a combined workgroup.

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"This is a great day for my below wing airport customer service colleagues," said Gil West, senior vice president – Airport Customer Service. "Today, finally, we will immediately begin the process of aligning pay, benefits, work rules and seniority."

"Delta Cargo people are ready to move forward," said Neel Shah, senior vice president and Chief Cargo Officer. "I appreciate their professionalism and focus on serving our customers throughout this process."

Interference claims are still pending relating to a representation election for Delta employees who work at airport ticket counters and gates, in customer-facing Cargo positions and in Reservation Sales. The majority of voters in that election also rejected IAM representation.

"We hope that this final decision will come soon," said Mike Campbell, executive vice president of Human Resources and Labor Relations.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 341 destinations in 61 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.