Originally Posted by
TurboDog
I can totally see this and here is how/why Delta will get what they want. In the prior contract negotiations we were dealing with a different economy. With the way the economy is now, Delta KNOWS that they have us by the balls. The new contract will definitely be less than what we have now. We basically don't have any bargaining power under this economy. If the pilot threaten a strike(which they won't), Delta will just laugh at them. They are already prepared to shut the doors via furlough, so the threat of a Strike would almost be better for Delta because they would be able to say that the Comair pilots would be the reason for the death of the company, not Delta. Negative press for Comair (wouldn't exist anymore) and not Delta.
Wow, stick a fork in us, we're done, huh?
The contract is amendable in 2011, right? and you think it'll take, what, a week to negotiate? whereas ASA took almost 5 years to get a new deal.
here's a newsflash - they could furlough us out of existence NOW. unlike every other DCI carrier, Comair doesn't have a contract saying that we must fly XXX hours per month. (Amend that, not sure what deals Mesaba/Compass have, either). we're like DAL's hydraulic accumulator - if they need to take 10 jets our of service in a hurry, it's easier to cut from us than incur a legal challenge from a contract carrier.
i'm not saying they won't use this as leverage during negotiations, but they could pretty much get rid of us right now and give the flying away to cheaper carriers. why would they wait?