[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20011]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       COMMENDING DELTA AIRLINES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 16, 2001

  Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my admiration to a 
Good Corporate Citizen. I would like to call attention to the 
thoughtful actions being performed by Delta Airlines in response to the 
attacks of September 11, 2001.
  The airline industry in this country has suffered a catastrophe with 
the events of September 11, along with the rest of the country. However 
the tragedy was not a license to treat people poorly. Other airlines 
ejected passengers from their seats because fellow passengers were 
scared to fly with people of Middle Eastern descent. While others 
committed vicious acts like these, Delta took another road and sent out 
a memo from the president Fred Reid saying: ``Delta has an 
uncompromising policy never to discriminate against customers on the 
basis of race, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual 
orientation, or similar classifications. The law mandates this policy--
discrimination is not only illegal, it is wrong and will not be 
tolerated''.
  If only the rest of this nation's airline carriers could follow 
Delta's lead.
  Instead other airline carriers ignored the law and punished innocent 
people just trying to fly during a difficult time. But what do you 
expect from airlines that blindly cut jobs and not executive salaries?
  I stand today to commend Delta for the careful cost cutting measures 
it has taken to preserve jobs and morale as the airlines weather these 
uncertain times. Delta has put the needs of their workers first. No 
employee at Delta will be left out in the cold this winter. You can 
tell a lot about a corporation by the way they act when the going gets 
tough.
  Finally I want to commend Delta for providing complimentary tickets 
to New York City on behalf of volunteer relief workers who are giving 
so much to the recovery effort. Delta has been a true Corporate Good 
Citizen and on behalf of a grateful nation we thank you!

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