Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
Lets look at the effect of that quote.
In around 70 days we will exchange openers for Contract 2012. Management will sit down with THE EXCLUSIVE Bargaining Agent who speaks for all Delta pilots. We want x, they offer y. Negotiations begin.
Management knows that every offer raises the floor. The floor will remain raised through mediation and if a new bargaining agent comes in, it is unlikely the floor will be lowered.
Wow. An amazing amount of speculation here. First of all, there may be NO offers at all...thus the floor doesn't move. Second, even IF the DPA gets the additional 2,000 cards needed for a vote, it likely won't happen before openers are exchanged. Since DALPA has said in writing that we will NOT see the opener after it is exchanged, we members will not know anything until we see a tentative agreement. If the TA is extremely weak (as I fully expect), it will be at THAT TIME when DPA would most likely hold the vote, and win. However, a new bargaining agent won't allow us to change our opening position, thus the new bargaining agent would only be able to fight and renegotiate for the best SECOND TA, after the first one is voted down.
The continuation of the DPA push is absolutely required because DALPA cannot be trusted to negotiate hard for us. Their record is absolutely clear. The threat of DPA will be holding a gun to the heads of DALPA. If DALPA fails, DPA will finish the job. Then DPA will spend most all of its efforts trying to repair the damage of DALPA's weak opener, by building an effective strategy for the NEXT section 6. Once DALPA delivers the weak opener in this section 6, this section 6 is probably doomed.
Carl