Originally Posted by
Jack Bauer
I agree. Trading work rules (more productivity) and allowing the regional's to get their second wind with large RJ's is extremely short sited. One thing this industry has proven in the last 15 years; representation is not what it should be and pilots will buy off on management (ie Mr. Campbell) talking points as issues through the union. There is no long term strategy to make the job comfortable while maximizing time with family and compensation.
Instead, we keep allowing "productivity" to get pushed up. There is no question, THIS contract (not the next one or the next one after that) is/was our best shot to make some real improvements. There should be/have been a 5 or 6 hour minimum daily guarantee, no more large RJ's (rather a reduction of all RJ's large and small) and a big boost in pay. A lot of guys have now officially been trained to buy off on the "vote yes for the first offer, the second will be worse" mantra. All these things added together spell a dismal future for this profession specifically for those more than 5-10 years left. Many will keep the blinders on though and jump at the first pay raise, all other things be damned.
Jack, Actually a good post and I like your idealism. In a fair world I would agree with you. However, we don't operate in a fair world. The world we operate in is an industry with razor thin margins, high cost carriers are severely punished and end up in chapter 7 or 11. You can be the highest paid but you had better be the most productive(SW), if you are the least productive average to low pay won't save you(AA, highest cost pilots in industry). When DL enters contract negotiations their goal is more productivity, our goal is more pay less work. If the playing field was level we might accomplish more of our goal but there is this RLA/NMB thingy that severely limits our ability for self help. How do you deal with this, one strategy is to keep improving your contract at every opportunity, LOA's, JCBA 's, even this TA and the realization that other opportunities will arise that allows further improvement. Another strategy is to fight the good fight, draw a line in the sand and stand firm on ideals. The problem with that strategy, however noble, is that in the last decade it hasn't produced one improvement for any negotiating pilot union.
I think the meat of the yes no vote is did our negotiating team get the most bang for the buck or did they leave low fruit hanging. I wasn't in the room but we sent in a very good team and I feel they got us the best deal available.
On to the 76 seat issue: DL is a global hub and spoke carrier that has finally figured out how to make sustained profits in the post deregulation real world. Where it is profitable to fly mainline jets DL flies mainline jets. Where it isn't profitable they use other means, you can say many things about our mgmt team but idiotic isn't one. If they could make money flying 76 seaters at mainline they would but at this time in this industry they can't. One of our mantras was not one more seat,one more pound,one more job. This TA actually accomplishes that, the difference between me and a lot of other posters is that I see less RJ pilots and more mainline pilots as a good thing regardless of the 76 seater issue, when and if we can affordably fly the 76 at mainline we make our stand. Until that time the choice is not either or, it's we have less RJ jobs and more 76 seaters or more RJ jobs and less 76 seaters. I personally prefer less RJ jobs. I've got to get back on my meds, time to workout and back away from the keyboard.