Originally Posted by
LeineLodge
I get what you're saying, as most others probably do. To make your point a little clearer, may I take it one step farther?
** Hypothetically ** We allow the company to outsource one 77 seat aircraft, but every other RJ must immediately be parked on signing (or brought to mainline). We relaxed our seat limit (by 1, for one airframe), but significantly tightened up narrowbody scope overall. In that case, I think most guys would consider it a win.
The heartburn that everyone feels here, myself included, is by simply making the hypothetical trade above, we have continued to concede that scope is negotiable. What most guys desperately want to hear is that:
1. We are sick of this outsourcing experiment
2. We are tied to the long-term viability of Delta and have a very real interest in the brand (arguably more than any mgmt team ever will)
3. Delta pilots will fly Delta passengers
My major concern is that once this stagnation period ends around 2017, that guys will be riding high on retirement advancement and being concerned about scope will fall out of fashion. Of course that will only work until the music stops again, and we're all stuck in whatever seat we end up in (kinda like now). My point is NOW is the time to reverse the scope damage that's been done. We are negotiating with a profitable company, and there really won't be a better time to get this done.
I agree with you that everything is negotiable, but unless it involves some serious tightening of scope, I'm not interested. Call me a 1 issue voter if you want, but this is too important to put off until later.
Exactly. Whenever you hear anyone start off with something like "what if we allowed one more large RJ but in return gave every pilot a billion zillion dollars and 29 days a month off and zero cost medical care" or whatever, its important to realize what's going on.
That is a very classic negotiating tactic. Its like the famous hot girl in a bar joke where you ask her if she's a prostitute, she says no, so you offer her one million dollars and she says ok and then you say "now that we've established what you are, let's talk price". That's all
ANY form of more large outsourced RJ's is. No matter how attractive the terms are when its in the philosophical stage, its just to establish that out flying is for sale and setting the tone that we're cool with it.
Scope is absolutely a litmus test, for everything. Pay, vacation, work rules, retirement, everything. Its what everything else is built on and the more we sell or give away, the weaker our remaining position ultimately becomes.