Delta begins work on flight attendant seniority for merger

Delta Air Lines is starting a process to integrate flight attendant seniority lists in its proposed merger with Northwest Airlines and will form a committee to represent its flight attendants’ interests.

Atlanta-based Delta sent a memo to its flight attendants outlining a process for an October election of a flight attendant seniority integration committee.

The move is part of Delta’s work toward easing the combination of the two carriers as it awaits the results of a shareholder vote Sept. 25 on the proposed deal and a decision from the U.S. Department of Justice expected later this year.

The committee will include 14 Delta flight attendants, who will meet in October and November to prepare for meeting with a similar committee from Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest. Delta spokesman Kent Landers said the committees would do “preliminary work” before the merger closes — targeted by the end of this year — but the process would continue past the close of the merger.

If the two parties can’t reach an agreement, unresolved issues would go to binding arbitration.

Seniority can affect issues such as what shifts flight attendants work, when they can take vacation and whether they can work international flights.

Because seniority can be a particularly complicated issue with pilots in a merger, Delta and Northwest pilots reached an agreement on a process for a binding arbitration decision on an integrated seniority list by Nov. 20.

Also this fall, Delta will start the process for integrating seniority lists of other front-line employee groups, such as baggage handlers and customer service agents.

Some of the other Delta groups will be represented by elected committees, and others may be represented by members of Delta’s “employee involvement groups,” according to Landers. Recently passed federal legislation requires that employee seniority lists be integrated in a “fair and equitable manner.”

Delta said it does not plan to cut any employees’ pay as a result of the merger, and some might get pay increases.

Northwest flight attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants union; Delta flight attendants are not unionized. The Association of Flight Attendants lost an election to organize Delta flight attendants earlier this year but plans to seek an election to organize flight attendants at the merged carrier.

If all flight attendants were represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, they would be integrated by date of hire seniority, according to the union.