I always get a chuckle reading some posters who think that Delta pilots are better off with the F/As being non-union. If that was the case then why don't Delta pilots have the highest pay rates, best work rules, and best benefits in the industry?

The reality is that just as you use pattern bargaining to bargain off of other pilot groups you also use pattern bargaining within your own company to increase the bar on benefits based on what other employee groups negotiated and with work groups even based on what F/As negotiated. Instead without no other employee group unionized you're stuck with essentially negotiating for yourselves AND everyone else since when Delta agrees to something for the pilots they know they'll have to give the same to the other employee groups to keep them from unionizing. You take that off and then you'll be able to have good pilot only medical insurance like all the other majors do (for example).

Better work rules for flight attendants would also undoubtedly effect trip construction for pilots to a certain extent, you would have means of working out issues with each unions pro stan instead of dealing with the chief pilot for every petty thing, and you'd have a more informed F/A workforce that wouldn't look at you as the enemy for having a spine and demanding real improvements when Delta is printing money.

Also, not to mention the simple fact that your dues dollars already go towards organizing other employee groups. The money that goes to ALPA international goes towards organizing other pilot groups, and the portion of your dues that goes to the AFL-CIO goes towards organizing employees from every walk of life.

Think about it...if having non-union F/As was really beneficial for Delta pilots then why do the other pilot groups support other employee groups at their airline when organizing and/or during contract negotiations? Is everyone else just stupid or is it that Delta pilots have in part also drank the Delta management kool-aid?

Just food for thought...