Originally Posted by
FlighTimeBarbie
Again you missed the point of my post: Once a TA has been reached, it is too late!
A TA is just that: a Tentative AGREEMENT. It means our Union leadership has agreed with the Company. Like it or not, our hand will have been played at that point. The MEC may subsequently vote it down or the pilots may vote it down...not bending to the strong arming tactics of the Administration...but regardless, they will not be able to achieve significant, tangible improvements beyond that original TA. Because at that point, there would be no real mechanism for achieving significant improvements or changes beyond a job action...which will not happen under Moak.
With all due respect ACL, what the Reps say to you now is not necessarily what they will do later, though it may make us all feel better in the short run. In past negotiations, many a radical-no-voter has been turned under pressure. But go on living the dream for now...
I would wait and see what we get, and then how the Reps vote. One thing you forget is DAL wants a deal done soon. A deal done without the press watching. A deal that allows them to have their pilots on board with their next plans. Voting "No" to a substandard TA by the Reps would derail the timeline of the company, and is not something the company would want to contend with.
A slight of hand is that the NC would not put the final agreement on any deal until getting the blessing from the reps. That would be what these constant updates and Special MEC meeting are about.
It is not about living a dream, it is about knowing that the Reps understand the importance of DALPA getting a TA that the pilots will vote "yes" for and a ta that will allow DALPA to prove they have the best interests of the pilots they represent at the forefront of every decision.
Of course, there are probably Reps that will vote "yes" for any agreement, but the majority are not willing to sacrifice for a quick deal. Your reps is one of them that will vote NO if the deal fails to meet a min level, and is not afraid to do it. The words spoken by many of the systems reps is this; " A NO vote is easy, it is the YES vote that is hard." I agree with that and would be in the same mindset if I were around the table.
* also a point to add: One or two elections cycles ago I would have agreed, but there are enough new reps that are there for the right reasons. Not all of the new reps, but most, and they have the support around the table to vote down a lackluster TA is need be. This is a significant change from a few years ago.