A Simple Question . . .

................ Where’s the Vote? 

 

It’s been two and a half years since the IAM Delta campaign rose from the ineptitude of the failed AFA campaign (after taking a brief detour to TWU) and from all appearances it looks as though the Machinists are gearing up for yet another fake “final push” for an election that will never happen.

IAM campaigner David Bachman recently announced some big “activity” planned for November 3 in Detroit.  According to Bachman’s October 9 announcement, “details still being worked on exact time and location (sic)”. Those “details” have yet to be announced, but this typical lack of transparency and planning should not surprise anyone who is even remotely familiar with the rambling, vague, platform-less campaign that keeps ignoring its own deadlines to call for a vote. 

  

Who’s Driving the Bus?

Thirty months into this campaign, the Machinists have not only failed to name their campaign leaders but are also determined to keep the Delta flight attendants in the dark about who would actually represent us in the highly unlikely event that they win an election (that shows no evidence of ever taking place). No one seems to be in charge and no one seems to be accountable to the Delta flight attendants. Crazier still, the lack of accountability exists even at airlines where IAM actually represents flight attendants.

Sad Track Record

Did you know that the IAM/Machinists DON’T HAVE A CURRENT CONTRACT IN EFFECT FOR ANY FLIGHT ATTENDANT GROUP ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD?!? 

Every single flight attendant the IAM represents works under a contract that is well past its amendable date (with no significant, respectful improvements in sight), or under no contract at all!!!!!

Typical of IAM incompetency is the heart wrenching case of the 150 CommuteAir flight attendants, who voted for IAM representation in 2008.

Although six years have passed since IAM became their bargaining agent, the CommuteAir flight attendants still don’t have their first contract! Even worse, during those six years of flawed representation and failed negotiations, the CommuteAir flight attendants have received ZERO pay increases due to the laboratory conditions that are in effect during the negotiations process.

Here’s another way to look at it:

Since 2007, CommuteAir flight attendants have received $0.00 in IAM negotiated pay raises or 0.0% annual increases.

Meanwhile:

Since 2007, Delta flight attendants have received average annual pay raises of 3.4% for each and every one of those years from 2007 to 2014, without the IAM’s help.

Who do you think is better off? 

And while we’re asking questions, here are a few more:

1. If the Machinists can’t even convince half the Delta flight attendants to vote for them after 30 months of campaigning, how will they EVER convince 50% of the Delta flight attendants to support them in contract talks that, by all history and evidence, will take them more than six years to complete?
2. If the Machinists can’t convince 75 CommuteAir flight attendants (50% of their total group) to vote for a contract that they negotiate, how will they ever get the 10,000+ votes they’ll need from the Delta flight attendants in order to get a contract ratified?
3. Why hasn’t IAM put out an objective line by line comparison of improvements they have won versus the improvements Delta and the EIG have brought to us? (Spoiler alert: they can’t)

Put Up or Shut Up

Where the IAM is concerned, past performance IS an indicator of future failure. The Machinists’ arrogant incompetence is too consistent and too pervasive to be ignored.

It’s time to call for a vote and stop stringing the Delta flight attendants along. What are you afraid of IAM? Could it be that you’re dragging this campaign on indefinitely for the same reason that AFA did? Is it because you realize that your divisive negative campaign can’t possibly win a ballot count? Otherwise, if the mighty Machinists are so certain that they are so wanted by the Delta flight attendants and if they truly want to represent us, they would have filed for an election a long time ago.

IAM, we’re beginning to think that you’re just not that into us. 

We want to continue focusing on improvements.  Your worthless distractions, by all measure and all evidence, have not resulted in improvements for the Delta flight attendants or for any of the flight attendants you represent. It’s time to call for a vote or let us get on with building our careers.

Sincerely,
Jose Arturo Ibarra