Originally Posted by
Timbo
I've always been a supporter of DALPA, but not a blind lemming. They have put up some pretty lame T/A's and I've voted no for most of them starting with POS 96. If we don't see at least a 30% raise, along with lots of other -get backs- like a 6hr. a day minimum for everything; vacation, training days, DH only days, and $5/hr. per diem, etc. I'll be voting no again.
BUT... I don't see how a -new- organization is going to do any better, and certainly a new group will have zero clout or political 'friends' in DC, when it comes time to discuss Cabotage...and you know that's coming.
I don't see how a -new- organization could do any worse. We currently have an organization that not only refuses to define any kind of restorative objective... they actually argue against it.
I know we've been over it and over it here. But the percentage pay increase required to match our MD-88/90 pilots with SWA's pilots has been pretty well established. And it's MORE than 30%! Are you willing to go along with a contract that doesn't even bring our narrowbody domestic pilots up to W2 parity with SWA's narrowbody domestic pilots? How do you feel about the fact that DALPA has spent a great deal of effort presenting one-sided information that attempts to show us leading our "peers", does not address how much we've given up over the years, and also attempts to minimize the HUGE discrepancy between our pay and the pay of our most significant domestic competitor?
I have no idea whether DPA could do better or not. There is no track record there for me to evaluate. And, while I like a lot of things they have to say, I don't like some of the things they have said (or not said). What I do know is that I have ZERO confidence that DALPA is up to the task. That's kind of a show stopper for me.