Originally Posted by
Scoop
I also foolishly and naively trusted what DALPA recommended and voted for LOA 46 - you know to keep us out of BK. When we promptly sailed right into BK at 32% lower rates I learned my lesson. DALPA recommended LOA 51 in which we as a Pilot group said we would not fight the BK termination and you know what, the Delta Pilots voted for it. When 100% of us Pilots had a DB we did not fight it. I voted No, the only time ever I voted in the minority, because I was still upset with being played on LOA 46 and also becasue I knew we would never ever get a DB back.
So although I think the current contract slants in favor of the junior demographic I don't feel we can blame junior Pilots for not fighting for the retirement pillar since we didn't fight for ourselves - when every single Pilot on the property had a DB.
Other than throw cash at guys on the way out the door (slim chance) and short of a DB coming back (never going to happen) what really could we have done? Maybe a bridge medical plan? 18% 401K at signing? <--- THIS I personally would have liked to have seen a 6th week of vacation vs faster accrual. This would have benefited the more senior guys and the junior guys would also benefit from it. The time to have fought for the pension was LOA 51 and we folded like a cheap suit. I just don't know what guys were realistically expecting with that pillar. I don't really expect much from DALPA. I submitted an ACE in May and they got back to me yesterday and asked when I called the company to stop my 120 day clock. WTF? Wait over 120 days to tell me I have a 120 day clock - DALPA in a nutshell. Pathetic.
Scoop
I'm not blaming the junior pilots. I'm blaming the MEC. They LIED. Period. Just like they always do.
You are right. We should have voted to retain the pension when OUR MEC LIED to us way back when. But we didn't. And in a way, we fell for it again as well by listening to them talk of a 4th pillar. This MEC is as politically calculating as any I've seen in my 32 years here. It's reprehensible.
CBreezy doesn't want to listen to the experience. Fine. He will learn it the hard way, just like I did and it will also take him 30 years to do so.. Hopefully enough others will listen and at least consider some of the things I posted and overrule his koolaid infused voting block. Or they can hand Darren Hartmann the throne in DC just like they did with Ambrosi. And Hartmann was the guy that UNILATERALLY gave a concession to the company. You just can't make this up.