Originally Posted by
scambo1
ACL;
I am just 1 of 12500 pilots. I am a reasonable guy despite my inability to avoid taking the random snipe when it is offered on a silver platter. I am going to guess that DAL has about 20% of the pilots completed disgusted (based on DPA cards), 20% of change from within, and 60% that will do whatever DALPA says. YMMV.
Scope was sold. Period. ALPA used it as a bargaining credit and told us that it was good for us. I am not sure that they even tried to use anything else as a bargaining credit...big picture.
We find ourselves in a position moving toward section 6 where (theoretically) we have limited leverage because we already used our bargaining credits to get C2K payrates - which ALPA (apologists?) say contributed to our bankruptcy.
We gave these payrates back in 2 LOAs pre-bankruptcy...I say that is an overdue loan (but I'm 1 guy). We woke up after a looong hangover and now we want some scope recature coupled with payrates etc. that reflect C2K + inflation or something similar.
1. We have scaled back the atlantic and AF/KLM is flying some of our trips as connections.
2. AK is flying the heart of our west coast
3. skywest and RAH arent being beaten back by our in-house union - giving them the green light to further expand.
4. A national officer tells us we can't strike over scope - which may or may not be true, but the implication is incompetence.
5. ALPA Nat'l tells us our greatest threat is Emirates.
We are darn near the cheapest yet most productive pilots in our worldwide neighborhood, yet we keep getting kicked in the nutz. Where is our strategic planning, where is our leverage. If it exists, I am not seeing it and believe me I try.
I have said that I believe in some constructive engagement when it is our shared interest, but in reality, what I see is a Lorenzo style shell game being run by colluding managements and our union is far too slow or stupid to see what is happening right in front of its face; dont see the forest for the trees.
Please help me see how ALPA is the winning team. Please, please, please.
1) Past mistakes can be learned from. Lets do that.
2) Realize where we were in error and fix it, demand nothing less from your reps. If they are not delivering, Recall them, now not later.
3) Scope is key, that I agree, and we all need to realize that.
4) Anyone who says C2K was the "reason" for CH11 is full of it, but it did not help when our margins were cut to nil by the LCC LUV. (They are a major reason we are where we are, and never forget that)
5) Using your percentages of irritated pilots, I suggest, yet, again a course of action. DPA cannot, and will not get that other 20% until something like a horrible C2012 is presented, and then they are looking at a card drive, de-certification vote, negotiations, and then a contract in maybe 2020. That is not acceptable to me, and not to many pilots. That is why these 2700 pilots need to for an alliance and reengage in the ALPA process to effect change now. Continuing the divide will really hurt all of our careers. You still have time to effect change in a few council elections this fall if you so choose, and I recommend that course of action.
6) I am less than pleased with many things that are currently on-going. I want a specific result, but know enough to know, that time really is of the essence and walking away from the current process is not the action that will lead to the best results for this group. If is time consuming and frustrating; at times, but necessary. To get change we all want, takes work, and not an forum. I wish it were that way, but it is not. Having others do the heavy lifting seems ideal in though, but far from ideal in action. Attend a LEC meeting, get the facts, bother your reps, demand answers, and if they are not what you like, initiate the change you want. It does not matter who's name is on the door, it is the people that are behind that door that matter.