Delta Airlines 2010 Annual Report Download - page 13

Table of Contents
As of January 1, 2011, the following numbers of our international long-range aircraft were available for CRAF activation:
Number of
Description of International Aeromedical Total
Event Leading to Passenger Aircraft Aircraft by
Stage Activation Aircraft Allocated Allocated Stage
I Minor Crisis 5 N/A 5
II Major Theater Conflict 23 21 44
III Total National Mobilization 59 33 92
We have also committed 75 aircraft to international short-range requirements. The CRAF Program has only been activated twice, both times at the Stage I
level, since it was created in 1951.
Employee Matters
Railway Labor Act
Our relations with labor unions in the U.S. are governed by the Railway Labor Act. Under the Railway Labor Act, a labor union seeking to represent an
unrepresented craft or class of employees is required to file with the National Mediation Board (the "NMB") an application alleging a representation dispute,
along with authorization cards signed by at least 35% of the employees in that craft or class. The NMB then investigates the dispute 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 new voting rules implemented by the NMB on July 1, 2010, a labor union will be certified as the representative of
the employees in a craft or class if more than 50% of votes cast are for that union. A certified labor union would commence negotiations toward a collective
bargaining agreement with the employer.
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 that the NMB 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 U.S. President 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 that, among other things, imposes a settlement on the parties.
Collective Bargaining
As of December 31, 2010, we had approximately 80,000 full-time equivalent employees. Approximately 17% of these employees were represented by
unions, including the following domestic employee groups.
Approximate
Number of Active Date on which Collective
Employees Bargaining Agreement
Employee Group Represented Union Becomes Amendable
Delta Pilots 10,900 ALPA December 31, 2012
Delta Flight Superintendents (Dispatchers) 350 PAFCA December 31, 2013
Comair Pilots 1,100 ALPA March 2, 2011
Comair Maintenance Employees 350 IAM December 31, 2010
Comair Flight Attendants 700 IBT December 31, 2010
Labor unions periodically engage in organizing efforts to represent various groups of our employees, including at our airline subsidiary, that are not
represented for collective bargaining purposes.
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