The Association of Flight Attendants said it has filed an appeal to a federal labor board, charging that Delta Air lines interfered with voting in a recent representation election.
Delta termed the appeal "ridiculous."
The union earlier this month narrowly lost the election, in which it sought to represent about 21,000 Delta flight attendants. It was one of several such elections to settle lingering labor issues created by Delta's merger with Northwest. Flight attendants from Northwest were unionized, while those from Delta are non-union.
The union, in a message to members, said the filing of interference charges includes "reams of documents" delivered to the National Mediation Board, which governs labor relations at airlines and railroads.
According to the union, "hundreds of Delta/Northwest flight attendants have reported coercive and unfair methods used by management to influence the results of the recent union election." The feedback includes "reports of the company's anti-AFA literature, excessive supervisor surveillance, and meddling and repeated supervisor phone calls to flight attendant homes telling them to vote."
Delta, in a written statement from a spokesman, said it will submit its formal response to the Mediation Board after reviewing the union's filing.
Delta said the filing is "disappointing because, more than two years after our merger, it prevents us from moving forward with our integration and from aligning pay, benefits and work rules" for flight attendants.
The union has said it wants a revote. It is also asking flight attendants to sign a petition supporting an investigation of Delta's tactics.
Last week, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., sent a letter to the Mediation Board urging it to "respect the outcome" of the vote among flight attendants against unionization. The letter included signatures of U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and 35 other senators.
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