Originally Posted by
757Driver
Completely untrue. For years CAL was a sideshow joke that had scabs running its Union and arguably had the very worst contract in the industry. I've said it before and I'll say it again your current contract, except for wages, is light years ahead of ours.
What I'm amazed at is how little you sold yourself out for and how you did it without the input of the NWA Pilots. Nothing more or nothing less.
I'm hopeful that we, (CAL and UAL), will work together and surpass your 4 year deal and set the bar even higher.
Delta has always been a great place to work and back in 1987 I would have sold my eyeteeth to get on there. My biggest gripe is that I don't think you should have settled for anything less than the original agreement.
Fare increases, over the last year, have countered most of the increase in fuel and if you'd just demand it, your management team would pass on the several bucks it would cost to secure an industry leading agreement.
If, however, in several months the new Delta signs an even more comprehensive and leading contract, I'll get on here and apologize to each and every one of you.
I don't see that happening and quite frankly, I think you're stuck with this crappy T/A for the next four years.
Like Poltergeist, I'm back. There will be a limit to how much the public can absorb fare increases. I predict every airline, including your beloved CAL will start showing losses possibly this quarter. We are in a recession, the global markets are all going down, this is a dire time. Fares could increase, but if no one buys those fares then it doesn't mean anything. The cash reserves will start being eaten and the carriers with the strongest cash reserves will ride out the storm the longest. That's the reason for these mergers. Combined carriers with cash reserves of $7b can go much longer than those with cash reserves of $3b. Also, you have greater access to the credit markets with those reserves.
I'm for $400/hour but why couldn't UPS and FedEx achieve anything close to $300/hour or even $250 in their last contracts? They were making profits in excess of $1b each annually. I admire your passion and resolve, but that doesn't mean you must ignore reality. And no I'm not selling myself short.
In the immortal analogy of a marine friend of mine:
If the object is to get s*x, its better to go home with the fat girl than no girl at all.