Originally Posted by
Bill Lumberg
That is managing expectations. There is NOT a finite amount of money given to pilots. That is the pie method, you get your slice, and that's it. No, an increase is the cost of doing business. Are you setting this up for an eventual letdown? The quickening pace if TAs probably is for a reason, like more consolidation, and knowing that is leverage. Keep the TAs coming, but then ask for WHAT WE DESERVE. If ALPA screws this up, the number 4000 will grow to 7000, and $38 million a year will go away from a group's coffers.
You seem more focused on your anti ALPA stance then getting the best possible contract for Delta pilots.
The pot of money is as I stated somewhat finite. There are points for both sides beyond which they are not going to go. That is why accurate costing is such a big part of the overall contract process. The company does not give a damn what our hourly pay rate ends up being. What they care about is the total pilot block hour cost. In most cases we as a union choose how that money is going to be split up within some norms and limits where management feels it might have other impacts. (example would be to redirect pilot pay from new hires to Captains. Even though total cost might remain the same the company with the coming possible pilot shortage might balk and say no wanting to keep new hire pay up and make the job more attractive when recruiting.)
To state that each section of the contract stands alone on a cost basis simply makes no sense and is not true. They are all related and in the end produce the total pilot block hour cost. That is also the number that if we end up in mediation the NRMB will be looking at the hardest. How we arrive at that total pilot cost will again for the most part be up to us as a pilot group.
If you believe the pot of money for pilots is unlimited and simply a matter of demanding what we want then you have never run a business on your own. Cost is king and pilots in the end are simply another cost to be managed by the company. The RLA sadly gives management a huge toolbox to manage that expense.