Carl,
I have to say, I am really impressed with how impassioned you are in defending your MEC and pilot group. I sincerely commend you for that - there are few greater qualities in a man than loyalty.
From what Lee Moak (DAL MEC Chair) has said, your above statement is incorrect. The NWA MEC
was invited (as well as DALPA) by DAL management to attend a meeting to discuss contract amendments. The NWA MEC never returned DAL's calls, and did not show up to the meeting. Thus, DALPA and DAL Management forged a contract, and the rest is an unfortunate history. I can't tell you what would have happened at a joint meeting - we will never know - but they were invited, and no one at DALPA felt they were entitled to anything.
That being said, I totally understand why the NWA Pilots are feeling left out, and finding it difficult to have blind faith that they will be included in a contract between now and the time the merger goes thru. (Imagine how much wasted time and energy we all spent bickering over this if a contract is signed in the next few months and this was all just semantics!!!!
) I do get where you're coming from though, and I'm sure we would be feeling the same way if the shoe was on the other foot. But it seems that the blame does not rest with DALPA, as much as I know that is a much easier place to point the finger than at your own MEC leadership...
I know you're not asking my opinion, but from my perspective, I think I'd be looking at making two difficult decisions...
Truly, I am not trying to incite to riot here, but genuinely, from an outsider's perspective, I would recall your MEC. We're starting to see over and over, where your MEC has dispersed complete misinformation, and personally I've been pretty embarrassed at their lack of professionalism in handling this situation. (Their statement after the merger announcement, their press conference, even early on pointing fingers at DALPA publicly when DALPA was issuing "no fault" statements, etc.)
Anyway, if I haven't offended you too terribly yet, I would also try to do everything I could to attempt to believe that the Delta Pilots are as good as their word. In my experience thus far, this is a great pilot group with an incredible amount of integrity. I know your pilot group has been screwed with in the past, and so I understand your skepticism, but I truly believe if you give Delta & DALPA a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Second perhaps to your pilot group, no one wants to make this transition as quick, painless and beneficial for you guys, more than the DAL pilots.