“Fly Now, Grieve Later”: It’s definitely a “thing”
Recently, “Delta AFA” posted a video on social media where AFA’s President discussed the practice of “Fly Now, Grieve Later.” They said that “there is no such thing” – but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Fly Now, Grieve Later” describes a situation when an employee (or their union) disagrees with the company on whether a work assignment is proper under a collective bargaining agreement. They must complete the assignment (“fly now”); and file a grievance under the contract (“grieve later”).
“Fly Now, Grieve Later” has actually been a “thing” for unions across other industries for a long time. And it is certainly a “thing” throughout the airline industry.
Here are a few examples of AFA and other airline industry unions explaining “Fly Now, Grieve Later” to their members:
“…there may be times when there will not be an opportunity to fully evaluate the legalities of a situation you encounter. You may need to fly the trip and open a ticket for review after the fact.” – Alaska AFA, July 2022
“Even if you believe that Crew Scheduling has violated a section of the Collective Bargaining Agreement you still need to accept the assignment and then grieve. This is known as fly now grieve later.” – Horizon AFA, March 2021
“If someone gives you a direct order, you need to work the flight and grieve it later” – Endeavor AFA, September 2017
“Congress has mandated that when disputes arise involving interpretation or application of contract provisions, airline workers must “fly now, grieve later.” In short, when given an assignment from Crew Services or a reasonable request from management that you disagree with, you cannot refuse to fly.” – JetBlue ALPA, May 2015
"Q: We have a policy of fly now, grieve later? A: “If you are given a directive you need to comply." – Alaska AFA, December 2014
- “...you cannot refuse to fly if you disagree with an assignment... The principle of “Fly Now, Grieve Later comes from The Railway Labor Act (RLA).” – Southwest TWU Local 556, October 2008
“Your AFA scheduling/reserve/hotel reps and your local officers do not have magic powers […] asking [these reps] to “fix” something on your schedule will only end in disappointment for you.” – Spirit AFA, April 2022
AFA organizers may also claim that grievances are a quick and easy win. The fact is, even if you “fly now,” the “grieve later” process is bureaucratic, complex, and results are never guaranteed.
If AFA is willing to misrepresent something so standard (and then promote it), what else will the union say or do to get Delta flight attendants to sign cards?
Don’t Risk It. Don’t Sign It.
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Stay in the know.
Text DELTA to +1 205 846 8096 for updates*
*By texting the keyword above, you are agreeing to receive periodic SMS text messages from Delta Air Lines regarding One Future. One Delta. Standard messaging and data rates may apply. You may unsubscribe any time by texting “STOP” and the keyword above to +1 205 846 8096. Full Terms.