Originally Posted by
TANSTAAFL
Funny, T&G 12-06 never mentioned the economy as a caveat when shilling for the TA with growth forecasts.
"...Conclusion: The analysis described in this Touch & Gos is based on flat system-wide capacity, which is less than what Delta is predicting. If capacity grows, the staffing differences predicted above would be even greater. Under the TA, there are hard caps placed on the number of DCI aircraft and therefore all growth flying must go to mainline. Flight Operations recently announced that they are prepared to begin the pilot hiring process as early as the fourth quarter of this year. This is consistent with the analysis contained in this Touch & Gos. Once the hiring starts, it will likely continue at a steady pace for several years...."
I guess the "stupid" part has to do with believing what you are told during a ratification sales job. The "economy" has become the scapegoat, taking the heat off the fact that this TA was sold to the pilots relying on too many overly optimistic assumptions.
No, the stupid part is you believing that you live in a vacuum. I notice that in your spin machine you left out this text:
We had not planned to address staffing issues other than those already provided in previous communiqués, since a detailed discussion calls for forward looking projections and assumptions. There have been some questions and, unfortunately, a lot of rumors perpetuated, which have no basis in fact concerning the impact on pilot staffing resulting from the shift in flying from DCI to mainline due to the Tentative Agreement (TA). If pilots are considering these impacts in relation to our TA, then that consideration should be based on facts and not internet rumors and disinformation.
The only reason that staffing was addressed at all was the series of lies that were perpetrated by people, many on this webboard, that were trying to down this TA. How do you and Nu Guy respond to that spin? Well, there is no response. You don't think critically, you are just spring loaded to believe whatever crap is put in front of you by someone that matches your agenda. It is really comical that you don't even give a second glance at outright lies but started whining when the true facts are laid out in front of you. Those guys were spinning, we were presenting the facts.
What part of that staffing argument is spin? Please specifically show the part that was spin. We laid out the aircraft delivery schedules, we laid out the staffing assumptions, we went through a detailed analysis of the retirement assumptions. Anyone with a brain could either accept that analysis or conduct their own given the facts that were presented. It was only after a concerted effort was made to deliberately mislead our pilots that this staffing piece was produced. Is that spin or is that trying to present facts? The problem is you don't want facts, you want emotion to match your agenda.
What is happening in Europe right now? It is in a recession. Yes, the economy is contracting and not by a little. Spain has unemployment above 20%, that is depression level. It is impacting the world economy including China and India. And you call that a scapegoat? Are you so unaware that you don't understand that world business investment drives our entire company? Without the people flying on high fare tickets, this airline would not survive. If you don't have that traffic, you must either contract flying or lose money. It is not that complicated. Or maybe you think it would be better if we went back to unrestrained growth followed by bankruptcy? That worked out so well last time.
So, if hiring doesn't begin in December of this year, it will be July or August of next year. Is seven or eight months such a long time in your world? Seriously, you and Nu Guy are like bratty little children that lash out whenever you don't get your way. Read the entire document and then come back with something that is not based on actual facts and analysis. We specifically mentioned that this was based on flat capacity. What if capacity is down 1 or 2% next year? Well, there is your 7 or 8 months. Do you not have any forward vision or are you just vapor locked into what happens in the next three months?
In that touch and go, what is the difference projected in staffing for this year with and without the TA? 1 person, yes 1. By the end of 2013, the difference was 180 or about 1.5% of the pilot group. So are you saying that that one pilot that one measly pilot is the eight month difference between hiring and not hiring? Is that it, that some pilot looked at that document and said, "Wow, one more pilot needed for this year, yes that pushes me over the edge now I vote yes." What is the spin, is it the touch and go or your selective reading and quoting of the document to match your predefined agenda? Sorry, you are the spin doctors here.
Seriously, listen to you two bleat away on here is just funny. You should be embarrassed. You talk about how to reform the union yet you are unable or unwilling to do even the most basic research about your industry and what affects it. Open your eyes gents and take a look around the world. Quit staring at your belly button, you are not the center of the world.