Originally Posted by
GuardPolice
These peeps get it. Propel is one of many ways to get to Delta. They will never put all of their eggs into one hiring basket.
As for discrimination, I think even 9E ALPA would shut the door to that conversation. My guess is this alleged forthcoming memo opposing the program has more to do with negotiating leverage than anything. In that respect, 9E ALPA would oppose any program of a similar nature on those grounds.
The hiring demographics of the Propel pilots seems to be trending very close to the OTS candidates. All colors, binary genders, and a good age range are represented.
Interestingly, the older candidates (I’ve personally not met anyone over 40 who has been accepted) tend to be chasing second careers or have a military background and are using GI money at the partner universities.
GP
I think the issue for most is that it represents a way for pilots to get hired here and progress to Delta faster than people already here, many of whom went to the same school(s). There's no hard requirement for the propel applicants to spend 18 months as Captain like the DGI. Only that they "take the first available upgrade" and even that is not a hard limit. Which means that theoretically someone could get hired by G7 or OO and get a lighting fast upgrade then leave before a 9E pilot with the exact same qualifications even upgrades. Remember, we're still running 2+ year upgrades right now from the last 2 vacancies. Sure that'll come down, but the scenario exists where a propel applicant with the exact same education and experience as a 9E pilot one year older would get to Delta before him.
Take the words "career progression" out of the sentence and it's easy to understand why some people (and ALPA) have genuine concerns. "New pilots on property are being offered better ______ than existing pilots with similar qualifications".
And to those who say "It will never be big enough to impact off the street hiring". You're being purposely naive. That's the whole point of this, to reduce pressure on the OTS hiring goals over the next few years. And if it's 1 pilot or 1000 pilots that's still a whole group of people that get to skip the line on a bunch of other people.
Don't forget one of the biggest problems with this that has barely been addressed. All of the gains in the past 10 years by regionals in terms of pay and benefits have been due to leverage the pilot group has from the labor "shortage". Any program that gets pilots less invested in the success of the unions negotiating position diminish the leverage we have to ever improve things like career progression for the rest of us. It just serves to further fracture the pilot group. Look at how long it takes the AA WO's to get gains. When half the pilot group has one foot out the door it's damn near impossible to get a strong negotiating position.
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