if there’s a problem with reposting an email that was sent to the entire council, the mods can take it down. Note: “MEC Confidential” is how it was titled to begin the email. Enjoy, and try to picture where you read where a shot of whiskey was taken. Lololol.

MEC CONFIDENTIAL
I thought I would do the usual “Let’s get the vote out” letter, but after reading Ryan Schnitzler’s last campaign letter I felt I had set the record straight once and for all on why our “disagreeable” former chairman Schnitlzer was not re-elected by an overwhelming majority of the MEC, (An 84% roll call margin to be exact, but who’s counting?) some of the facts surrounding his term as MEC Chairman and why his “leadership” style is so detrimental to our Union.

Who Killed Colonel Mustard in the Library?
In his letter, Ryan claims he “restored order“ to MEC meetings, but nothing could be further from the truth. Countless hours of MEC meeting time that should have been spent solving pilot issues were instead wasted playing ”Who killed Colonel Mustard in the library with the candle stick?” It was always something, and much of it played out on social media via proxies. One memorable moment centered around sensitive information being leaked out about an MEC member who may have opposed Ryan. One of our more tech-savvy reps began a forensic detective search as to the origin of these leaks which yielded some damning results (a list of Ryan’s proxies that were used to conduct social media attacks, character assassinations and other unscrupulous activity).
A quick look at the MEC meeting minutes from former chairman Schnitlzer’s term indicate that more than 20 hours were wasted in executive closed session unraveling these mysteries. Being that an MEC meeting typically runs about $155 dollars a minute, (Yes, you read that right) at 20 hours or 1200 minutes a conservative estimate would indicate we wasted more than 186,000 dollars of our hard-earned dues dollars playing this detective game, all because of former chairman Schnitzler’s lack of integrity. (Fun fact: after the departure of former chairman Schnitzler the Delta MEC has not spent one minute in executive closed session).

Flight Pay Loss Abuse
Disagreeable former chairman Schnitzler claims he had 8 months off this year due to the MOAD displacement and awaiting requalification training. This is patently false. Ryan was a 73NA during his tenure as MEC chairman, and though he was displaced to 765B in the MOAD, he was subsequently able to gain reinstatement to 73NA prior to going to training on the 765 or losing qualification on the 73N. What actually caused Ryan to lose qualification was taking two months off for the MEC chairman transition, all while receiving 94.5 hours of flight pay loss each of those months. It is traditional to have a month of transition from one MEC Chairman to the next for continuity purposes, however Ryan felt he deserved a second month completely free from any duty – ALPA or line flying – even after not coming into the office at all the first month. He could’ve used those two months to maintain his qualification; he instead used them to lapse it and gain six additional paid months off as a result.
I believe the DTW pilots deserve representatives who actually fly the same “optimized” schedules as they do for a better understanding of what life is like on the line, and I’m proud of the fact that I have maintained my currency for the duration of the time I have served as your DTW FO Representative. The Delta MEC Policy Manual had to be changed as a result of Ryan’s actions so flight pay loss couldn’t be abused in the same manner in the future. You can read that resolution here.

Refreshed?
Ryan’s claim that he ”refreshed“ the committee structure couldn’t be further from the truth. The committee structure, including the MEC administration, was in constant disarray during Ryan’s term. Several of the committee chairmen he appointed didn’t pass muster with the MEC and gain confirmation, chiefly because their only qualification was being Ryan’s friend. Several more had to be removed during his term because of various iterations of unscrupulous behavior. The environment in the ALPA office became so toxic during Ryan’s term that COVID lockdowns actually saved the organization from a complete and total implosion. Countless committee chairmen approached the elected representatives stating they couldn’t work in that environment any longer and would resign if Ryan were reelected. This is one of the main reasons I chose to go in a different direction from Ryan during last year’s MEC officer elections – the essential every day work the committees do for the pilots was in grave danger of collapsing.

Due Diligence
I am certain this letter will garner a rebuttal and social media attacks, but before you read one word of that I encourage you to do your own due diligence. Reach out to the MEC Treasurer and inquire about the FPL, call the MEC Secretary and ask about the resolution that was passed as a result, and while you’re at it ask about the hours spent in executive closed session and the constant committee turnover and chaos. Finally, reach out to former DTW Captain Reps Bill Bartels and Rich Wheeler and ask them for the details as they witnessed them first-hand as well. You might be surprised what you find out and where the truth lies (pun intended.)

Conclusion
The Delta pilots can’t afford to reintroduce this self-serving chaos back into the organization. Our contract is now approaching three years overdue thanks to COVID. We’ve lost an entire bargaining cycle. This MEC needs to get to work and deliver a contract the Delta pilots can proudly ratify; we don’t need to devolve back into turmoil. If you choose to elect my opponent that’s what you’re going to get. I’ve witnessed it first-hand.
Anyone can write flowery campaign (or MEC Chairman) letters, but results speak for themselves. The MEC was able to accomplish four LOA’s last year during the worst downturn our industry ever faced in spite of an MEC chairman that worked to derail them at nearly every turn. Alternate channels of communication had to be established to accomplish these tasks because the Delta CEO and Director of Flight Ops wouldn’t take the MEC chairman’s calls. Some of you may think that’s a good thing and proves Ryan is “tough,” however no contract exists without those two signatures at the bottom. There is a way to disagree and still maintain a professional business relationship; unfortunately, Ryan was unable to do that. Simply put, we can’t afford more of the same, and that is why I’m asking for your vote of confidence as your DTW Captain Representative to deliver you a contract you can proudly vote yes on.

Captain Darren Hartmann