I found it. You didn't miss much. A healthy dose of fluff wrapped in a very thinly-veiled prompt to "shut up and color...we know what's best for you. Oh, and don't worry about the survey results. Just relax and let it happen."

November 23, 2011



Your MEC met last week in Atlanta for our November regular meeting. While we conducted business typical of any regular MEC meeting, substantial time was dedicated to preparing for Section 6, any potential though currently unforeseen consolidation transactions, or other opportunities. In particular, we spent a significant amount of time reviewing the results of the recent Contract Survey and continuing to develop our strategic plan.


On Tuesday, our Communication Committee and ___ (Wilson Polling) briefed the demographics of the survey results. We are very pleased to report that overall participation was robust, and the pilot group was very well represented across a wide variety of pilot demographics including seniority, longevity, aircraft category, age, council affiliation, regular/reserve status and commuter status. In short, with your help, we achieved survey results with not only a very low margin of error but also a very high confidence level.



On Wednesday, the Negotiating Committee briefed us on the actual survey results. It is crystal clear to us that the survey was a major success, not only in its crafting, but also in its execution. Thank you to those who took the time to participate in this critically important endeavor. The Contract Survey will be one of the primary tools we use as we direct the Negotiating Committee to develop our opener within the next few months.


The results of the survey will remain confidential for obvious strategic reasons, but let us make this unequivocal point: We have heard you loud and clear.



Throughout the week, we also participated in a variety of valuable strategic planning activities. We plan to meet again early next year to continue from where we left off.



While Section 6 negotiations are often the avenue for significant contractual improvements, we’d like to take a moment to highlight Letter of Agreement #31- Scheduling Modifications, which was unanimously ratified by the MEC last Friday. Within a couple of hours of the ratification, you should have received Negotiators’ Notepad 11-11, which explains the provisions of LOA #31in great detail, but we’d like to point out some key elements of this agreement. LOA #31 addresses recovery flying by:

 Eliminating recovery obligations for a first officer who has been removed from his rotation under Section 23 G. 5. for another pilot’s OE
 Eliminating recovery obligations for a pilot who has been removed from his rotation under Section 23 K. due to a cancellation that was known prior to having been awarded the rotation or the close of line bidding Providing for more limited availability for, and increased use of seniority when being assigned recovery flying under Section 23 K.

Recovery flying issues have been a major source of concern for many Delta pilots, and this LOA addresses those concerns in a very significant way. To be more direct, this LOA is a tremendous accomplishment, and importantly, it was achieved outside the bounds of Section 6 negotiations through constructive engagement. Looking forward, we will continue to take advantage of every opportunity to improve the professional working lives of the Delta pilots.

We also heard from the Retirement & Insurance Committee. At our August meeting, we asked the committee to develop a position “that clearly state[s] the MEC’s intentions and commitments to preserve the retirement benefits of all Delta pilots” and present that position to us at this meeting. The committee recommended a position, which we fully and unanimously endorse. It can be summarized as follows: substantially improve the professional lives of over 12,000 Delta pilots and their families. We believe, that with the support of the Delta pilots, we will be successful in achieving that goal!

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, it’s appropriate to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for. To those fortunate enough to be with family and friends this weekend, enjoy that time together; for those who will be flying the line, thank you in advance for providing our passengers with the safe and enjoyable travel experience they deserve.


Respectfully,
Your Elected Representatives