Originally Posted by sailingfun

I have been here a long time. I have never seen a contract completed less then 18 months past the amendable date and those were simple compared to this contract. The NMB gave a brief to the MEC in Jan. They put the powerpoint presentation on the website with some timeline information. Every pilot should review what the NMB put out. The history of pilot contracts over the last 15 years is easily available. Nothing has happened fast. Several contracts have exceeded 5 years.
RA feels we are paid about right at the moment. He is on record stating that. He has over and over again stressed that Delta will only pay industry average wages not industry leading. If he gives us a industry leading contract he is going to have to follow up by doing the same for all employees or face having Delta once again become a very poor performing airline. The cost would be very high.
His last talk at the LCA meeting he stressed improvements over time and discussed the AMR situation and what the union passed up at length. The implied message was obvious to every in attendance. If we want a 4, 4, 4, 4 contract with no change in other areas we can have it done close to the amendable date. I will not accept that type of contract and I doubt the majority of the pilot group will accept it.
This forum makes light of pilot costs as a issue in the success of the airline. I can assure you that management has a vastly different view. This is a brutal industry selling a commodity. When you sell a commodity you had better be priced within pennies of the competition or your not going to last. The gains this pilot group wants and deserves are not going to come easy or quick. Its going to be a long hard struggle over many years. To believe anything else is a fantasy.
A year ago I would have given us a much better chance of a quick contract. I thought AMR would get a deal done as well as UAL/CAL. It now appears they are both going no where fast or in the case of AMR no where good. A lot has changed. Prepare yourself for a long fight. Get set financially. If Delta does not meet your needs and you have better options now I would jump all over that. I will hopefully only be around another 3 years. I am about done with my career and I don't want another flying job. I don't understand why the younger pilots on this forum are sticking around if they even believe half of what they post and hate the job and Delta as much as they say.