Originally Posted by
finis72
ACL, you above many should know that this is a cyclical business. RA and company are trying very hard to even out the cycles. For the first time since deregulation I believe DL has a business plan that will work and provide steady profits and steady improvements for the pilots. Think SW and how every year they get a little more. I have little empathy for a 4 year pilot sitting on the 767ER that has had two raises every year(longevity and contractual) talking about expectations. With our retirement plan the way it is you will retire a multi millionaire and never have to go through losing a pension in your 50's. In 5 to 7 years you will start moving up due to retirements. Some food for thought: The NMB doesn't give a rats a$$ about your expectations, they see a pilot group #2 in their industry and are under no obligations to make us #1. If UCAL and AA/USAIR settle under us currently what does that do for the negotiating climate. You believe DL will come back to the table if we reject this contract. My sources say different, the second offer if we get 1 will be worse. You vote your way I'll vote mine then in the aftermath we will deal with the results together. Yes, I'm at the top of the heap now but for the first 7 years of my career I was stuck on the lowest paying position at DL. That's the breaks of an airline career, as an industry it sucks and for labor it has always been a wild ride.
The funny thing Finis is I agree in principle with you, and for that reason I do not believe that fixing a few items (less than 30 specific lines) in this agreement is enough to make the company choose option B. I don't. They may but it will cost them the position they want and a lot more money than what the fixes are.
In seven years I will be in a position to hold about what I hold now with a line. I hit 50% in 2023 without a increase to the retirement age which may br coming. I will be able to hold ER capt at 58. I retire in the low double digits.
As for retirement, I am aware. It will be an add on to what I have been very successful at in my own right.
None of this means that I should be willing to go with less protections because I can. Again, it's not about me, it's about this group. If I were to take a singular I perspective on this TA I should vote for it because I can take a down bid, I can take a furlough, and I could take possible stagnation.
There see a lot of if if ifs out there will "possible" future growth. It's just like the mass of 738's we were going to get that never materialized. I agree their "could" be impressive hiring out there but because of this TA we will see less bodies because of it.
Dal wants to go after it, that is known, it's also a reason not to sell ourselves short. If the TA passes we all move on. We just need to realize a lot needs to be fixed and ASAP.