There was something interesting to me in your post Dlax that I hadn’t thought of before. The MECs sending out TAs—especially the Delta MEC. Shows the MECs can be out of touch with their constituents. Is there a group think that wraps up some MECs. Is it perpuated by the staff lawyers that provide continuity? I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve always thought our MEC was too business-like, too “company is too powerful”. The attitude I feel seems to have survived several MEC changeouts over the years. Why are we so meek in enforcing our contractual rights? Why has the language in our CBAs and LOAs always been so poor? I’ve read other airline’s CBAs and it’s amazing how some seem to be much more iron clad.
We keep playing checkers and I’ve not ever seen what I feel like is a chess move from our union, contract enforcement, etc. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me a dozen times, I’d be an idiot not to think we would be outplayed again. From what I’m seeing, in the short to medium term, this VB plan is only incremental and not awesome. Why should I take on this enormous risk when I feel that a simple maneuver by the company would hose us? Just look at what they did changing when money is paid out to retirees. After years of historical practice paying out in January, this giving us more B fund payment and reducing retirement year tax obligations, they make a change hat has very significant detrimental impact. If our “top notch” lawyers can’t game this and put in preventative language, I really have very little faith something similar won’t take place in a potential, new VB plan.
While I’m willing to look at a VB plan, I really do feel that there will be such emotional investment in it at the MEC and NC and R&I level that there will be group think and a sell. If released to the crew force, I think just about anything will Pass these days. We saw it in the horrible FDA LOAs and the less than stellar 2015 CBA.
I’m worried.