Originally Posted by
Confirmedat20
Allright everyone take a step back and quit looking at the tree and let's start looking at the forest.
-First, the company wants the flex line value, but the union wants Cola's and early retirements. The company REALLY REALLY wants flex line values, the union says no. Whammo! more furloughs and downgrades.
Remember, the company has to offer a very attractive package with all the trimmings to get the senior guys to take early ret. Ergo, the early ret. won't save them that much. Also, by using flex line values, they have the flexibility (oooh there's a semblance!) to raise and lower it while keeping everyone staffed. Is that the only solution? No, of course not. But our union seems to be playing this all or nothing mentality.
- This dovetail's to my next point, that 90 going to Mesaba is a warning shot. The higher ups at Delta are not pleased with the dismissal (nor am I) of the ASAP program. To just throw away an invaluable resource of safety to prove a point is reckless and Atlanta sees it as such. I don't necessary disagree with the unions view of the incident in question, just their actions. This "I'm going to take my ball and go home" mentality has got to end. To throw 1400 pilots to the wind to prove a point is just wrong.
This ship is not sinking, but it has sprung a leak. We can still plug it up, but it will take negotiations, give and take, adjusting to the national economic situation, picking our battles, use the proper arsenal, the right tool for the right job...
Oh yeah, and an ounce of common sense won't hurt either.
My two cents...a penny's worth anyway.
I'm telling you, you won't see any senior buyouts here. They don't plan for us to be here in the long term, so why make a longterm savings plan that would cost so much right now?
Personally I think our union doesn't have as much air in their chests as they think they do. I think the ship is sinking, and I think the union and the company have tried to negotiate(didn't work,) the pilot group has definitely given enough(I won't give anymore, I will quit first,) and I believe they have picked the battles the best they could. So as far as the proper arsenal and the tools for the job, I got nothin. It equates to the same dirty politics that have plagued this company for years. Even union guys are leaving their positions, because they are fed up. So you are left with the real senior guys that have been here forever against DS. Just as Delta won't give Comair the time of day, DS will not give in to our senior guys. Guarantee it!