Originally Posted by
AV8ER13
Did you net get a stronger company with more cash? Remember, NWA Pilots are at stake as well, You didnt get 3 billion in cash, routes, airplanes, etc. without the NWA pilots. So, if there was to be a merger, it was inevitable that NWA would be brought up to atleast your current contract. Did you think they would merge and then tell you that you were going down to our contract? NO, and to get all the pilots on board the company approved certain contract improvements. Whether it was neg by DAL or NWA, but this doesnt mean DAL bent over backwards to help NWA. Mgmt did by not telling you werer coming down to our contract.
This is one of the problems - airplanes. Just today it was announced that the 787 got delayed again. NW is shrinking, DAL is stagnent (parking some jets, but orders coming in as we speak to cancel this out). Where are all the DC-9 FO's going to go when they are parked? They will bump DAL FO's. NW has stopped hiring, is receiving no aircraft, and is parking aircraft. Yes there will be retirements and aircraft in the future but how many and when? Today NW is shrinking and DAL is not. DAL will also have more aircraft orders and pilot retirements in the future.
I personally do not like the idea of a seperate contract for DAL but from what I have heard from the MEC - the DAL pilots have been very reasonable so far and the NW MEC from the start has been very aggresive in its demands. I just hope we can work this out instead of being forced into a shotgun marriage type of agreement.
Scoop