News

Negotiating a first contract

Only Delta Flight Attendants will decide what to prioritize in our contracts. And we won’t pay a single cent in dues until we ratify a first contract! 

If the company says it will take years, what they mean is that they do not plan to respect the democratic vote of the Flight Attendants and act in good faith to negotiate the contract. AFA has the experience and ability to complete negotiations within a year of the representation vote.

This is the process to get to a first contract at Delta:

  1. Majority of people on the seniority list sign authorization cards and we file for an  election with the National Mediation Board (NMB).
  2. Win Representation Election. NMB certifies AFA as the union representing Delta Flight Attendants – management cannot retaliate against Flight Attendants for voting for the union, meaning pay and benefits cannot be unilaterally reduced by management. This locks in what’s already in place for Flight Attendants and sets a starting point for negotiations.
  3. 30 Day period for Delta Flight Attendants to Sign AFA membership applications and submit nominations of their peers to serve as the local officers of their union. Delta Flight Attendants with most nominations from their peers are appointed to serve as local officers. The appointed local officers will elect a negotiating committee. 
  4. The elected Negotiating Committee (your Delta Flight Attendant peers) compiles a negotiations survey for all members with the assistance of AFA professional negotiators, attorneys, and research department. The survey is open to all members for several weeks while the Negotiating Committee also holds information meetings/listening sessions.
  5. The Negotiating Committee also studies other industry contracts, attends negotiations training, and reviews Delta’s financials with financial analysts. 
  6. Within four months of the representation election, the Negotiating Committee has Flight Attendant feedback including the surveys, negotiations prep work complete, and review and approval from leaders from every base. We are ready to begin negotiations with management.
  7. The targeted number of changes sought in negotiations help to lessen time discussing issues at the bargaining table and reach agreement. Member meetings and communications keep Flight Attendants fully informed and engaged in negotiations. 
  8. As negotiations intensify, so does Flight Attendant involvement. If Delta management does not respect the vote of Delta Flight Attendants and work to negotiate a contract, then Flight Attendant actions heat up from petitions to leafleting to picketing and other creative tactics designed to encourage management to want to reach agreement.
  9. Tentative Agreement is reached with improvements, but only becomes a first contract after it is ratified (approved by a majority vote of Delta Flight Attendants).

All contracts take two parties to agree. Starting from what we have today, we can be targeted in the number of improvements we seek based on the desires of Delta Flight Attendants. We will do our part to make it possible to reach an agreement within a year. If Delta management says it will take longer, that’s on them. And if that’s the position management takes, we will take action as a union to pressure them to change their position and reach an agreement instead.

Let’s lock in what we love at Delta with a legally-binding contract and negotiate for more! It's going to take all of us to lock in our union and a first contract.  Sign a card nowand  join our campaign.