Originally Posted by
Reroute
88, we don't live in a glass bubble, pattern bargaining will be crucial to obtaining significant contractual gains.
Do you truly believe that if no one else raises their rates significantly, that the Delta pilots can achieve, and sustain, a contract that restores C2K + inflation, + DB, + medical, + disability, + scheduling, + scope? I'm assuming all of that is part of restoration, or are you just talking "partial" restoration?
Do you believe management would give us that if we just simply demanded it?
Do you think management would sign off on it because, once the traveling public becomes aware of our plight they would demand that we get it?
Do you believe that the NMB would release us for self help if we demanded a doubling of the cost of our contract, with all our competitors still working within 10% of current book?
I think you are being rhetorical if you demand something that "you know" is not feasible.
We do not live in a glass bubble and what goes on around us, the state of the economy, the industry and our airline both in good times and in bad, matters.
I believe our goal is to improve the pay and working conditions of the Delta pilots, to get as much as we can, for as many pilots as we can, as quickly as we can.
I believe we should make it clear to all concerned that restoration is our objective. There are many different aspects to doing that. But as a starting point, if we don't clearly state it as our objective, we are unlikely to achieve it. Certainly, the economy and many other factors will make a difference as to just how far we can actually go. I just believe that, by not making restoration our objective, we are basically agreeing with management that airline pilots are just not worth (and are never going to be worth) what we have been in the past. In other words, we establish our current compensation as as some kind of new baseline from which we seek traditional improvements. (As opposed to digging out of a very deep hole that we should have never allowed ourselves to be put into in the first place.) I also think, with the "this is the best we can do" mentality, we are very likely to fall short of what we could achieve otherwise. I have never known of anyone to achieve outstanding results by setting mediocre goals.
But thanks for answering my question. (And, yes, it was an honest question no matter what you imply.) At least I know where you stand and I understand what you're saying.
I'm not encouraged by what I'm reading here.