Veritas
In Defense of the Truth
#2008-02
When your only tool is a hammer, all of your problems start to look like nails.
The Northwest MEC Leadership seems to know only one way of doing business—fight. Unfortunately, that tactic may not only be unnecessary, but in the long term may foster the hostility they themselves warn could doom the prospects of the merged corporation.
As you will soon read, even if there is no villain, they seem bound and determined to find one.
We continue to be disappointed by the Northwest MEC’s decision to play fast and loose with the truth. It serves no purpose other than to pander to the Northwest pilots and to drive a wedge between our two pilot groups as we attempt to resume negotiations toward a joint contract.
Congressional interest in the proposed merger between Delta and Northwest was front and center this past week as both MEC chairmen testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation. This was the last of four congressional hearings on the matter and the first to receive direct testimony from the two master chairmen.
It didn’t take long for the Northwest MEC administration to start tilting at windmills in an effort to find their imaginary villain. The latest effort was published in an NWA MEC Hotline dated Thursday, May 15, 2008—the day after the hearing.
Here is what was reported to the Northwest pilots:
“In all communications over the past week we had requested the presence of Northwest pilots at this hearing as a symbol of opposition to this merger. However, DAL management hired as many as 50 linestanders, restricting the number of positions for Northwest pilots. It is unfortunate that, in a hearing regarding two ALPA carriers, the financial ability of Delta Air Lines can allow funds to block our full participation at an event that discusses the impact of consolidation.”
“A half-truth is a whole lie.”
--Old Yiddish Proverb
So enough of the half-truths; now (in our best Paul Harvey voice), “the rest of the story.”
Hearings on “The Hill” can be a hot ticket. The hearing rooms are small, seating limited, and the number of organizations with “skin in the game” numerous. Throw in witnesses and their supporting attorneys and staff, high-powered lobbyists, people like us “in the crosshairs,” and what you can have is a colossal food-fight for seats. Who gets in is tightly—and we mean very tightly—controlled by the Sergeant-at-Arms, a person who has
Veritas is published by the Delta MEC Communications Committee
ultimate authority over who enters and who is turned away. In order to secure one of the limited seats available after witnesses and staff are accommodated, it is a very common practice to hire “linestanders,” locals who will hold a spot in line, often starting the evening before.
Delta hired approximately 50 linestanders for this event who did in fact come the evening before. But here’s the irony of the Northwest MEC Hotline and the part they conveniently left out:
The linestanders were not hired to keep Northwest pilots out—but to ensure that they got IN!!
Let us explain.
Each witness is typically allowed two guests to accompany him into the room. Northwest MEC Chairman Dave Stevens elected to have two pilot members of his Communications Committee accompany him. All other Northwest pilots were subject to the “first-come, first serve” process. The Northwest MEC did encourage their pilots to attend the hearing, but apparently didn’t have enough experience with Capitol Hill to understand that you don’t just show up mid-morning on the day of the hearing and expect to waltz right into the hearing room. That explains the surprise on the faces of many Northwest pilots when they strolled into the Rayburn House Office Building only to find themselves at the end of a very long line of people ahead of them—Delta pilots, other Delta employees, a large number of Northwest employees from various departments, IAM supporters, AFA supporters and many others whose affiliation was not apparent.
As the crowd gathered outside the hearing room, Delta MEC volunteers and Delta’s Government Affairs people worked diligently together to ensure that there was a mix of Delta and Northwest uniforms in the line, with the goal being—and this was stated clearly to all in earshot—that there would be the same number of Northwest and Delta pilot uniforms in the room. Some got in. Some did not. Several Delta pilots did not get in initially because they volunteered to give up their place in line so that Northwest pilots could get in. Many employees of both airlines watched the initial portion of the hearing from an overflow room, but by the time the two master chairmen testified (the third panel of a four panel hearing), all Northwest and Delta pilots in attendance were able to be accomodated in the hearing room. Any claim to the contrary is fiction.
Oddly, the author of the Hotline accusing manipulation of the process not only did get in, but was a witness to the entire process. Did he not notice the Northwest pilots being moved into line with Delta pilots? Did he not do a uniform count in the room? Did he not notice the wall of NWA pilot uniforms on the back wall? Here’s a Hotline update: The only reason many Northwest pilots were allowed in the room at the beginning of the hearing was because of the foresight of Delta’s Government Affairs office to employ linestanders and the cooperative efforts of the Delta MEC to ensure an equitable presence.
“A half-truth is the most cowardly of lies”
--Author unknown
By painting a picture of conflict that does not exist, the Northwest MEC leadership is doing an enormous disservice to the pilots they represent and putting those pilots’ futures in jeopardy. Make no mistake about this fact—the success of the merged corporation depends largely on cooperation between the employee groups. Sowing discord for political gain is the lowest form of leadership.
Veritas is published by the Delta MEC Communications Committee