Originally Posted by
JungleBus
Carl & PD -- OK, yeah, it sucks that they can violate scope at will and just pay us some cash, but I want to know what we could do differently. Any violation of the contract will always go through the grievance and arbitration process. We filed the grievance, we kept it out of the Section 6 process, both good. The subsequent alternatives are settling or going to the arbitrator. We settled for $30M. Would an arbitrator have awarded more? *Maybe,* but then we're still selling scope for money (and the arbitrator might have said $15M while simultaneously giving Sir Richard a handy under the table). What I can't see the arbitrator doing is forcing Delta to up their int'l block hours and creating more widebody vacancies. That's the solution we'd like to see but simply not going to happen. So it was always going to come down to money.
It will certainly never happen with your belief that's for damn sure. What I'd like to know is how could a new guy like you come to Delta with this belief? Where did you learn that level of resignation?
The idea that an arbitrator will only allow money settlements is simply not true. The cancellation of the JV or the forced increase of EASK's by Delta was absolutely a possible remedy...but we'd have to plea for that remedy during the arbitration. We didn't even go to arbitration. We settled for money only for a clear black and white violation. Why? Because DALPA never believed in the grievance in the first place.
If you really want to see a proper grievance, let the company ignore agency shop (requirement to pay ALPA Union dues) for Delta pilots. I GUARANTEE that DALPA would not accept a monetary penalty for that...DALPA would demand the company pay strict attention to the language.
Carl