2 September 2008
Union protests Delta-Northwest merger
Northwest blamed for not discussing merger details with union leaders.
Northwest Airlines flight attendants’ union is continuing to protest the merger of Northwest and Delta. This time, the union is complaining that Northwest’s management has not discussed the merger details with union leaders.
Union members recently learned about a protest rally outside Northwest Airlines annual meeting to be held on 25 September – where shareholders will vote on the proposed Delta-Northwest merger.
Unions dislike direct manager-employee communication
Further opposition is coming from the International Association of Machinists (IAM), representing Northwest’s ramp workers, among others. The IAM believes the merged airline will be extremely difficult to manage. “It will be burdened with debt and can lead to possible failure of the combined entity," the union says.
The IAM believes the merged airline will be extremely difficult to manage.
In August, Delta and Northwest asked employees to comment on the work culture they wanted for the merged carrier. Leaders of two Northwest unions immediately objected to the survey. One says management is attempting, “to destroy our organization" by dealing directly with workers. The IAM says the survey is a "divide-and-conquer scheme."
Open communication
Delta communicates openly with employees, including flight attendants, and wants a "direct relationship" rather than union representation. The company believes it has the right to present its own point of view.
In spite of union protests, around 1,000 Northwest employees responded to the survey within the first 24 hours it was available online.
Around 1,000 Northwest employees responded to the survey within the first 24 hours.
Comments in the public domain
Comments from Northwest and Delta customers and employees make interesting reading on the news website StarTribune.com
The Hub pulled a comment from a Delta flight attendant of 30 years:
"Man, do you guys think differently than we do @ Delta!," s/he begins. Adding that employees are very used to these surveys where "management only wants to know how we feel about something." S/he believes Delta employees would be shocked by the Northwest union opposition. "I hope you guys will 'Chill-out' and come to work with us, minus all this anger and mistrust... These reactions are NUTS!"
Another response says, "The unions at Eastern Airlines struck the airline and whined a lot also. End result: no airline, no union."
Have your say
Mergers are notoriously tough even when both companies feel they will benefit. In the Delta- Northwest case the dark clouds suggest heavy turbulence ahead. Will there be a comfortable landing?
A clear problem seems to be a lack of trust between Northwest employees and leaders – something to be urgently addressed.
What role does internal communication play in a situation of low trust? What advice would you give the senior leaders at both companies if you were an internal communication consultant? What hints and tips do you have for communicating in a unionised environment? Unions have been a positive influence in many organizations – while some have had a negative impact.
Perhaps unions will become, as some people suggest, "as dead as the dodo" in the 21st century. But will the current "credit crunch" create a demand for union membership – if only as an "insurance" against possible redundancy? And what will that mean for the role of internal communication?
Other recommendations:
Merger communication in the spotlight
Six ways to communicate effectively during a merger
How to manage the people side of mergers
TOP TIPS: 10 ways to resolve conflict
Got a news story? Contact the newsdesk