Delta Air shares its 2011 profit

DELTA AIR LINES employees received a Valentine stuffed with cash Tuesday; workers at the Memphis hub collected $3.3 million out of a total profit-sharing payout of $264 million, Delta said.

The profit-sharing program rewarded Delta’s 80,000 employees with a payment equaling 4.85 percent of their 2011 pay.

Delta CEO Richard Anderson said profit-sharing, begun in 2007, and a Shared Rewards program, started in 2005, have paid out more than $1 billion to employees.

In a letter sent to employees’ homes, Anderson said profitsharing reflects “our values of dignity and mutual respect and our commitment to provide fulfilling careers for Delta people” as well as “the unique ability of the Delta team to accomplish the goals we set for our company.”

Delta, which made deep cuts at its Memphis hub as part of a push to eliminate unprofitable f lights, turned a $1.2 billion profit in 2011 despite a $3 billion increase in fuel costs.

A Delta spokesman said the airline doesn’t break down numbers of employees at each station.

IBT gets Kroger deal

Kroger and one of its unions have ratified labor agreements that affect about 1,400 employees nationwide, including about 400 at a Memphis distribution center.

Members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters approved the contract in voting that ended Saturday. Affected are four distribution centers and two dairy manufacturing facilities in Kansas, Texas, Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee.

Kroger said the new agreement includes highquality, affordable health care, company-funded pensions and wage increases, determined by local supplemental agreements, over three years.

The Memphis center is at 5079 Bledsoe near Shelby Drive and Grocery Lane. Affected employees include order pickers and consolidators and truck drivers.

A five-star facility

U.S. News & World Report has given Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab a five -star rating among long-term care facilities.

The Cordova facility was rated for its performance in all four quarters of 2011 on health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of care.

The evaluation is based on data from a consumer website run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

What are you reading?

Literacy Mid-south will kick off a Twitter campaign today to promote the upcoming Read Across America Month in March.

The campaign — titled “What are you reading, Memphis?” — will encourage people to tweet about books they are reading using the hashtag #Readmemphis leading up to and throughout March.

Literacy Mid-south staff will initiate conversations on Twitter about specific authors, suggested books, new releases and events pertaining to literacy and Read Across America Month.

Booksellers at Laurelwood also will promote the campaign and hashtag through a special display of books recommended by Literacy Mid-south staff and volunteers. Additionally, a percentage of sales from these books throughout the campaign will benefit Literacy Mid-south.