Originally Posted by
Bill Lumberg
Why doesn't Pineapple guy seem to understand that? It appears both contracts were shattered in bankruptcy. The joint contract didn't recapture much of that loss either. Maybe DALPA doesn't think we deserve the rest, or deserve as much as the Airtran guys will get? I want to see major improvements in the opener, and no more managing our expectations. DALPA should represent our interests, not the company's.
Bill, DALPA has gotten incremental improvements, maximizing the limited leverage they had at the time. It's no where near restoration, and we need big improvements in the future. But you can't get what is unobtainable. You need look no further than APA, LCC, and now UCAL to see that.
DALPA could have taken the APA approach -- and gotten nothing.
Or look at UCAL now; those airlines are out of bankruptcy. UCAL ALPA is trying to maximize their value, but they don't have a lot of leverage to do that at the moment -- hence their lack of progress.
Making public statements, as DAL88 wants to do, accomplishes nothing. Ultimately, its negotiating leverage that gets improvements. And that leverage is a function of corporate profitability, union solidarity, industry peer comparability, and a friendly NMB. At the moment, those aren't as much in our favor as I'd like.