Originally Posted by
Wasatch Phantom
I too have great respect for JM.
With the benefit of hindsight, contract 2000 was negotiated as the economy was heading downhill. The Delta pilots had also labored under a contract, known as POS '96, which was a very concessionary contract. I would say the general mood of the pilots was one of great expectations, particularly after the United pilots negotiated a strong contract.
So while the financial burden of Contract 2000 started having a deleterious effect on earnings right away, part of that was because of the economy itself.
Yes, JM was also MEC Chairman during the givebacks prior to bankruptcy. And, again with the benefit of hindsight, Delta was bleeding pretty badly for quite a while prior to those huge givebacks. But a historical perspective is insightful:
Shortly after POS '96 was ratified Delta started making money in a big way. Then Leo Mullin replaced Ron Allen as CEO and DALPA approached him about mid-contract pay increases. Leo's response was the (in)famous "No, a contract is a contract". So with that background, and with the funding of "bankruptcy proof" pensions for a select group of senior executives (as Delta was hemorrhaging money), when Delta approached DALPA about concessions, how do you think that went over?
However my recollection during all of these negotiations is that the various offers by the company and DALPA were in large part communicated to the Delta pilots.
My personal opinion is there is a GREAT deal of mistrust of DALPA by a significant percentage (indeed, if not the majority) of Delta pilots. (The whole FPL cover-up issue gives them cause to feel this way.)
If DALPA chooses not to communicate with the membership the various offers and then offers a lame tentative agreement with the "...this is the best we could do" excuse... that may be the end of DALPA.
Forgot the Delta Dot already? We were first and UAL used the dot (777) to set the bar higher then USAirways set the highest pay of all $330 for the 330. If we are going to play hindsight then lets look at everything you said here. History stands a chance to repeat itself based on what you wrote. Delta had billion dollar earnings in 1999 and 2000. That's only two years in a row. Delta just made similar money in 2010 and 2011, but it's only two years in a row. You said our contract started to chip away at the earnings and then we all know the downward spiral continued. You then go on to say that the give backs were okay because they were communicated properly? What I now see is the same situation ten years later. We are asking for the lion's share of the earnings while not providing the company with a way to get out if something goes bad. Do we bleed the company dry at the first sign of profits or do we work to ensure they continue to make profits and we make money with them? Remember we did not give back anything from C2K for three full years after 9/11. We then arranged to keep furloughed pilots on the street longer while allowing some of the 2500 Captains to stay and earn more money. I agree that hindsight can be used here and it doesn't look good to a furloughed pilot at this point. PBS was implemented in LOA #46 requiring even less pilots.
If pilots can sit on this board and snipe at
any MEC Chairman for what they did, then this guy is just as open to being talked about. He is responsible because he was in charge. I voted no, but it didn't matter. The yes voters won and the company still went bankrupt. We are still trying to recover from LOA #46. Look at the recent LOA that got rid of FO OE recovery flying. It took us
seven years to get back one LOA #46 item. I would have held the line to bankruptcy court and done battle there, but that too is hindsight. As is the steady progression we have made since LOA #46. LOA #46 was the reset of the baseline, not bankruptcy court. We got billions back in bankruptcy. Billions we gave up under bad times but not under duress like bankruptcy court.
The mission now is to discuss whether we repeat history. I remember him getting upset about using DALPA because he thought it appeared like we were separate from ALPA and he didn't want that. Now he does want to be separate. There's more to this story than meets the eye. Do we break the bank or do we meet half way? You tell me because, it has all happened before and it will all happen again. Now about that USAirways "highest paid in the industry" $330 per hour on the A330. How's that working out?