It's amazing to me how many DAL pilots are stating that NWA pilots are getting such a better deal. How is that? Because a payraise is being thrown at us, less than what I use to make, and we are suppose to throw our seniority out the window? If you read the papers you'll notice that DAL Mec is still in N.Y where our negotiating team has left. It was not our Mec that wanted to staple anybody but the Delta Mec that seems to have promised their membership relative seniority plus 10%.
I am so amazed at how people look down at NWA as if we were second class citizens. Are you kidding? Let me introduce to you some facts about our group.
1) We were the only group to ante-up money monthly to pay for medical coverage for our furloughed pilots.
2) Yes, we did take a bigger cut to protect retired pilots and the soon to be retired from losing an income they had earned. (By the way I have a close friend who retired from Delta in 2003 and is now living in an appartment, as outside of the lump sum he got, his monthly pension is gone. Is that right?) I'd rather make 10% less and hear how inferior we are but know we didn't sell our retired guys down the river.
3) In '98 when we went on strike to end concessionary contracts (remember the SWA guys wouldn't let us jumpseat, being how we were no longer working pilots. Personal experience on this one.) Yes, we did not get the greatest contract but it did illuminate management teams how costly pilot strikes are thus paving the way the UAL and subsequent DAL contract.
4) Now let's talk about Compass. We went out of our way to ensure that regional flying got back onto our seniority list. Protecting future new hires that if they were to get furloughed they would at least have a 65/hr job as a fall back.
The NWA seniority lists is filled, for the most part, with a great group of aviators who have tried to look out for one another. We may have the worst contract in the industry as we focused on scope/pension and many will remind us that we are lowest paid in the industry but our contract doesn't define us.
The reason DAL came to us is that Richard Anderson knows that NWA, with its Pacific presence, is a cash cow. The reason why so many NWA pilots are excited about the potential merger, is not the cash, is because we like Richard Anderson. We liked him when he was at NWA.
Now that talks have broken off why don't you DAL pilots ask yourself the following question?
Who would you rather merge with? United (much younger seniority with little attrition) Continental (well, we have the golden share with them.) UsAir?
NWA has the oldest seniority list with the most widebody flying.
If you're looking for a company that has a great contract why not SWA? They got, what 2001 guys in the left seat. However if you ever go on strike don't count on them for the jumpseat. I couldn't.