• During the Delta-Northwest merger, IAM lost elections in 2010 for Ramp and Cargo, Above-Wing, Reservations, and other workgroups – even though they already represented those workers at Northwest. 
  

• In 2015, IAM filed for an election for Delta flight attendants but withdrew the application after the National Mediation Board found that A-Cards with fraudulent signatures were submitted. They continued an unsuccessful card-collection effort at Delta for years.

• In 2018, IAM launched yet another unsuccessful bid to represent ACS Ramp and Cargo employees. 

IAM organizers often make promises about what a contract will have, saying you can keep what you like and make improvements on everything else. The truth is that union contract negotiations are a give and take process that can take years. Any one thing that is negotiated could stay the same, get worse, or get better.

Consider just a few things:

• During negotiations there are often no improvements to pay or work rules. For example, it took IAM 4.5 years to negotiate a post-merger contract at United and during those negotiations, there were no pay increases.

• The most important aspects of your work-life are on the table. Do you take your company seniority if you transfer between Ramp or Cargo and Above-Wing? Can a leader help you load bags? How would bidding for schedules work? What would be the shift swapping and overtime rules? These work rules (and much more) are on the table and subject to the give and take of negotiations. At Delta, you can move within ACS and carry your full company seniority with you and your leaders can pitch in to help. This is not always true with a union contract, including pre-merger IAM Northwest contracts. 

•  IAM "job security” is not all it’s cracked up to be. During the pandemic, we worked together to protect and create jobs while union contracts at other airlines forced competitors to deal with the downturn through furloughs. IAM's track record before the pandemic also speaks for itself. At Alaska, the ramp workforce is half what it was 10 years ago, due to outsourcing in their hubs. At United, approximately 2,300 fleet and customer service jobs were outsourced between 2013-2015. Meanwhile, at Delta we continue to work together to protect jobs and insource previously contracted work, including 2,000 new jobs over the past five years.

Contract negotiations are not quick or easy. They can take years to complete, and improvements are minimal while the process plays out. Just look at IAM’s track record at other airlines:

• American: 4.5 years to negotiate the post-merger agreement for ramp and cargo employees. 

• United: 4.5 years to negotiate the post-merger agreement for ramp and cargo employees. 

• Southwest: 4.5 years to negotiate its latest Above-Wing contract.

• CommutAir: 7.5 years to get a first contract for 150 flight attendants.

• Air Wisconsin: 6 years to negotiate its latest contract for 180 mechanics.

The relationship between Delta leaders and the frontline has proven to be a faster, stronger, and more effective way to drive improvements than this process.

• In 2021, IAM members paid dues to cover nearly $40 million in salaries and disbursements to IAM International officers and other employees. Delta employees would be worth more than $20 million in annual mandatory dues paid to the IAM.
  

• Since 2013, 20 IAM officials across 16 states have been indicted on embezzlement, theft, and other financial crimes charges, with up to 5-year prison sentences.

• In 2015, IAM filed for an election for Delta flight attendants but withdrew the application after the National Mediation Board found that A-Cards with fraudulent signatures were submitted.

• During past IAM organizing efforts, Delta employees— and even their families—received uninvited calls, texts and visits to their homes from IAM solicitors.