Maybe we can get Kenny Chesney to sing "no hats, no coats, if no contract." I'm sure Delta is sweating the fact that we don’t wear our hats so they can save $2B a year by dragging their feet. It’s my opinion (you know what they say about those) that the company is hoping that a short-term recession (I’m sorry, transitory fiscal impact) will start affecting the airline industry so as to improve their bargaining position. We’ve been there, done that. 33 1/2 % followed by a 14% pay cut plus work rules, insurance etc. dug us into a hole that we are still neck deep in. The sad part is that we did that so that the company could possibly avoid bankruptcy. How did that work out for us? Oh yea, we got to give up our retirement in bankruptcy.
Now is the time my friends. I believe in 2000 a 777 CA was making about $300/hr and $1 in 2000 is worth about $1.72 now. A 350 CA tops out at $353 today and would require $516 in today’s dollars, or a 45% increase, just to bring us up to the standard of living in 2000. I say we make this very easy for the Delta management and say we JUST want C2K adjusted for inflation.
VOTE YES on the strike ballot.
BD