Delta Airlines 2002 Annual Report Download - page 14

and, if it finds the labor union has obtained a sufficient number of
authorization cards, conducts an election to determine whether to certify the
labor union as the collective bargaining representative of that craft or class.
Under the NMB's usual rules, a labor union will be certified as the
representative of the employees in a craft or class only if more than 50% of
those employees vote for union representation.
Under the Railway Labor Act, a collective bargaining agreement between
an airline and a labor union does not expire, but instead becomes amendable as
of a stated date. Either party may request the NMB to appoint a federal mediator
to participate in the negotiations for a new or amended agreement. If no
agreement is reached in mediation, the NMB may determine, at any time, that an
impasse exists and offer binding arbitration. If either party rejects binding
arbitration, a 30-day "cooling off" period begins. At the end of this 30-day
period, the parties may engage in "self help," unless the President of the
United States appoints a Presidential Emergency Board ("PEB") to investigate and
report on the dispute. The appointment of a PEB maintains the "status quo" for
an additional 60 days. If the parties do not reach agreement during this period,
the parties may then engage in "self help." "Self help" includes, among other
things, a strike by the union or the imposition of proposed changes to the
collective bargaining agreement by the airline. Congress and the President have
the authority to prevent "self help" by enacting legislation which, among other
things, imposes a settlement on the parties.
Collective Bargaining. At December 31, 2002, Delta, ASA and Comair had a
total of 75,100 full-time equivalent employees. Approximately 18% of these
employees are represented by unions. The following table presents certain
information concerning the union representation of domestic employees of Delta,
ASA and Comair.
AMENDABLE DATE OF
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
EMPLOYEE GROUP EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED UNION AGREEMENT
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
Delta Pilots 7,930 Air Line Pilots Association, May 1, 2005
International
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
Delta Flight 190 Professional Airline Flight December 31, 2004
Superintendents Control Association
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
ASA Pilots 1,520 Air Line Pilots Association, September 15, 2002
International
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
ASA Flight Attendants 775 Association of Flight September 26, 2003
Attendants
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
ASA Flight Dispatchers 70 Professional Airline Flight April 18, 2006
Control Association
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
Comair Pilots 1,530 Air Line Pilots Association, May 21, 2006
International
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
Comair Maintenance 430 International Association of May 31, 2004
Employees Machinists and Aerospace
Workers
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
Comair Flight Attendants 770 International Brotherhood of July 19, 2007
Teamsters
---------------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------------- -------------------------
ASA is in collective bargaining negotiations with the Air Line Pilots
Association, International, which represents ASA's approximately 1,520 pilots.
The outcome of these collective bargaining negotiations cannot presently be
determined.
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