Delta Air Lines' shareholders are the latest group asking the company to allow employees to organize

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Delta Air Lines' shareholders are the latest group demanding the company stop its union busting efforts and allow employees to organize.

In February, over 100 members of Congress signed a letter to Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian urging the company to not interfere with employees' efforts to form a union.

Lawmakers want Delta to adopt a neutrality agreement ahead of any vote to unionize. Organizers have been working for over a decade to unionize Delta employees but began a fresh effort in November 2022.

Now, some of the company's investors are joining the effort.

This week, Delta investor Amalgamated Bank filed a resolution with the board of directors asking the company to adopt a noninterference policy. Employees have reported threats of consequences if they choose union representation since organizing efforts ramped up in 2022.

Lyndsay Fritz is the bank’s corporate social responsibility officer. She says there are indications many workers at Delta are dissatisfied.

"Respecting worker rights to freely associate, bargain collectively, and work in a safe and healthy environment has been shown to have positive effects for both workers and companies," Fritz said. "And may help investors secure more stable returns in challenging environments.

Delta flight attendant Michael Bearman said he joined the Association of Flight Attendants after seeing his coworkers treated differently in similar situations.

“One of my coworker's probationary periods was extended for three months after one sick callout," Bearman said. "My other coworkers called out several times without repercussions. The lack of consistent and clear sick policy forces thousands of flight attendants, especially junior flight attendants, to work sick, risking the health of our fellow crew and passengers.”

Gameli Appiah has been a ramp worker with Delta for the past five years. He is working on the Atlanta organizing committee to start a union with support from the International Association of Machinists. He said they’re not asking for anything out of the ordinary.

“So if Delta respects its workers’ rights to choose whether they want to be represented by union, like they often say to the press and the public, they need to put some action behind it,"  Appiah said. "I think they should adopt this neutrality policy and — and let the chips fall where they may.”

Delta's investors will have the opportunity to vote on the resolution before the meeting on June 20.