Originally Posted by Carl Spackler

Here's the readers digest version of this:

1. Joint Ventures make Delta a HUGE amount of net profit.
2. Our union's main thesis is that increased profitability leads to increased good things for pilots.
3. Management doesn't have to negotiate any JV agreements whatsoever...but they do have to abide by our overall Scope language that mandates maintaining a block hour percentage equal to what existed prior to any JV.
4. Our union feels it's a better tactic to give up a portion of our flying share in order to achieve new contract language that provides for new minimum levels that didn't exist before. Even if those new minimum "guarantees" represent a reduction of what we're presently doing.
5. Our union is very concerned that pilots will be angry if they learn we're giving up part of what we're doing now in order to have a lower guarantee that didn't exist before.
6. Council 44 and the MEC administration do not want a repeat of the FAR 117 process whereby members forced the negotiating committee back to the table.
7. Council 44 and the MEC administration have decided the best way to prevent a repeat of the FAR 117 process is to hide key data from the membership until after the TA is passed.
8. Council 44 and the MEC administration didn't think someone like Georgrtg could pull the data together in time to affect the outcome.
9. After TA passes, Council 44 and the MEC administration will strongly focus on the new global flying share minimum that was supposedly achieved and tell the whiners to get more involved in the process next time.

Carl