Wednesday, April 18, 2001
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Wednesday, April 18, 2001 |
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Change is needed . . . I have been a Delta flight attendant for 23 years, and a union activist for the past six of those years. Lately there has been a lot said of Delta, much of it negative. I found your article very interesting because it captured many of the thoughts that Delta employees have experienced lately. It is very difficult to characterize what the workers of Delta have gone through in the past several years. Of course, I need to say a few things about your article. First of all, the pilot's intended work actions are very important to the workers at Delta. In an organization that is mostly non-contracted, and not unionized, the pilots represent everyone when they speak in solidarity. In the past, when they fought for positive change, invariably their actions had the "trickle down" effect for all employees. If the public (and the unschooled employees at Delta), would put their animosity aside, and stop believing pilots are overpaid whiners, they would recognize that there is a vital need for improvement at Delta. What they may not realize is that not all pilots make six-figure salaries and ALPA's stand for better benefits and pay for all Delta affiliated pilots is important for the entire struggling airline industry. Second, Leo Mullin may be well-schooled and -connected, but no one is worth the amount of money he is pocketing at the expense of others. In the past decade, Delta employees have received one (count it) raise that did not even place us on par with inflationary costs. Additionally, stock options that were magnanimously bestowed on every employee awhile back are now worthless pieces of paper. All of us are working harder for our money, the days are longer, but the pay is the same. It is definitely not the "old" Delta any longer. Third, the union activity needs clarification. For the past five years I have tried to relay to my coworkers that a union, if we had one, would not comprise outside forces, but our fellow employees. Everyone, especially Delta (which spent a large sum of money on antiunion firms), is convinced (or in management's case, tries to convince) that unions are entities from the outside trying to get our money. Unfortunately in a company that always had the best of everything it is hard to admit that to maintain that status, a change is in order. Unions would render a large change but I believe they are vital if improvements are to be made for the employees. I have not won many friends in my efforts, and management has made it clear they disapprove of my actions, but that is not what this is about. When you said in your article that instead of Mullin accepting his raise he could have said, "We're in this together," hit the nail on the head. We as a company are in this together, but more significantly, as members of a community we are in this together too. Delta has long represented the best that Atlanta had to offer and none of us want to lose that, so yes, we are all in this together! It is too bad Leo Mullin couldn't see if that way too. Arden Williams Flight attendant Sharpsburg
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