Delta Air Lines claims to care about us ramp agents. Not just while we are at work, but at home, our families, our mental health, and our longevity. Unless you are near the top of the pay scale, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In some cases even being top-of-scale doesn’t reach that healthy living standard for a single adult.
A recent study from a personal banking website GOBankingRates.com, cited in places like CNBC and Yahoo! Finance, reported on what a true living wage for a single adult is in each state. They took data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and applied a widely accepted budgeting formula of 50%/30%/20% that covers your needs like housing; and wants like new clothes, with the remaining going to savings or investments. The results show just how little DAL values its employees, their quality of life, and long-term plans.
As you would expect, each state has a different level of a healthy living wage, but even in the most “affordable” state with a Delta hub, Georgia, an employee would need over 6.5 years of employment to reach the reported $49,051 living wage.
Each state that has a Delta hub requires a minimum of 6.5 years of employment to meet their healthy living wage. Pair this with the massive amounts of hiring done by Delta
to build back from the pandemic where many stations have more than 50% of their workers with less than 2 years of employment. This means that THE MAJORITY OF RAMP AGENTS don’t make a healthy living wage.
This is for a single adult living in these states. Add in a spouse or kids and this becomes an even more insulting picture. How does Delta expect school lunches to be paid for? Supplies for the new school year? Clothes for growing children? Field trips? Music instruments? A broken arm? Investments for the family to inherit? It makes it clear that Delta does not value our families. Constant low wages have been linked to all sorts of health issues, both physical and mental. Shorter lifespans, frequency of depression, and faster mental decline in later life just to list a few. A healthy living wage would help possibly avoid these issues, not a “Care-a-van” where we can get a 10-minute massage once a year. Delta makes billions and billions of dollars a year off from the sweat of our brows and the strength of our backs. Join us in standing together and demanding Delta pay every worker a healthy living wage and recognize our desire to live and work with dignity.
State Living wage for single person seniority to reach that wage
Georgia 49,051 6.5
Michigan 50,049 6.5
Minnesota 51,668 6.5
Utah 55,293 8.5
Washington 65,640 10.5
New York 73,226 10.5
California 80,013 Exceeds pay scale
Massachusetts 87,909 Exceeds pay scale
AT MSP, DTW, JFK/LGA, SEA, A Day Of Solidarity
Across the system on Friday Sept. 15, Delta workers gathered to show support for unionization. At MSP, dozens of Delta ACS, flight attendants and mechanics gathered at the employee parking lot and marched to corporate offices to demand Delta stop interfering with our right to organize. They were joined by over 100 airport workers from four different unions, who told Delta to stop standing in the way of health insurance for every worker at MSP. At DTW, Delta workers picketed outside the terminal demanding an end to interference. SEA saw workers picket outside of cargo. Workers from JFK and LGA joined up for a family day of fun and solidarity at the local IAM union hall.
Delta Dues Are Costing You Money
An MSP manager recently told employees that over 50% of workers on the ramp have less than 2 years seniority. If you have two years or less, you are losing money big time when compared to union workers at United with the same seniority. This doesn’t take into account the loss due to higher insurance premiums and deductibles with worse insurance and a number of other factors. Isn’t it time to change this. Sign a union card.
Pay loss compared to United Loss from no pension Total loss Monthly Avg
0-1 years 3,889.60 2,076.66 5,966.26 497.18
1-2 years 3,962.40 2,152.16 6,114.56 509.54
We Are Worth More
We’re watching unions from all across the country make huge gains for workers who many label as “un-skilled”. How many Fortune 500 non-union laborers are setting these standards?
Even better than that, let’s look closer to home. Our own company is stalling, waiting on our unionized counterparts to set the industry standard before they make a move on our pay. Why are we OK with this?
We produce the most revenue in the industry, shouldn’t WE be initiating and setting the standard? It can’t happen if we don’t talk to our co-workers, then organize to demand it.
We’re worth it.
