National Mediation Board investigates Delta over behavior during Union election.

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A federal labor board is investigating claims that Delta Air Lines interfered in a small union representation election.

The National Mediation Board, which oversees airline labor relations, said in a memo it will investigate allegations by the International Association of Machinists following an election among 91 flight simulator technicians from Delta and merger partner Northwest Airlines. The board sometimes dismisses such allegations.

The union, which failed to get enough votes to win the election, wants a new election using a different voting process. Simulator technicians were unionized at Northwest but not at Delta.

The union claims Delta offered a pay raise to non-union employees; promised a change in work schedules; had supervisors conduct one-on-one meetings to influence employees to not vote for the union; conducted surveillance to discourage discussion about the union; and denied union representatives access to break rooms.

Delta said its pay increases had already been planned and that any statements at issue were both true and protected by the First Amendment. The company denied other allegations.

“We believe the IAM’s claims grossly distort both the facts and the law to support its allegations,” Delta said in a written statement.

The investigation comes as Delta faces likely representation elections among flight attendants and other ground workers, who also were unionized at Northwest but not Delta.