Delta and Northwest executives want to smoothly complete their deal to create the world's largest airline by the end of the year. But investors reacted negatively Tuesday, amid word there are no plans for further domestic flight cuts as well as the challenges of integrating companies with contrasting cultures, planes and labor relations. The two airlines have very different relationships between management and workers, which was reflected as soon as Delta's acquisition of Northwest was announced Monday. Delta pilots support it. Northwest pilots oppose it. Fifteen minutes after the announcement, the union representing many Northwest ground workers pledged to fight it. Northwest is heavily unionized, while Delta's pilots are the only major work group at Delta to be part of a union. Delta flight attendants begin voting April 23 whether to join a union.
See "Delta, Northwest face challenge of merging fleets, employees", Harry R. Weber and Joshua Reed, San Francisco Chronicle, April 14, 2008