Delta Air Lines said on Tuesday its flight attendants are set to vote between April 23 and June 3 on whether to join a union. Delta cautioned the workers, saying flight attendants currently have a better working relationship with management than unionized peers at rival airlines.
Currently, Delta's only major unionized group is its pilots. If the flight attendants vote to join the Association of Flight Attendants, the workers will rely on that union for representation in contract talks.
Delta, which is seeking to lower its costs to offset its fuel bill, announced last week that it plans to cut 2,000 jobs. The carrier plans to achieve that target through voluntary retirement and buyout packages, which it plans to offer to 30,000 employees. Delta and its rivals have been battered this year by persistently high fuel prices that erode the stability carriers gained through years of massive restructuring.
