Thread: Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
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Old 06-13-2010 | 04:23 PM
  #40406  
Scoop
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From: DAL 330
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Originally Posted by satchip
Ok I understand now. Thanks for the lesson.
Satchip.


Satchip,


It is far more complicated than anyone has yet said. Companies and Unions learn from past strikes- and adjust accordingly, kind of like Spy vs. Spy. A DCI strike is also a different beast than a Spirit strike.


For one thing, Spirit Pilots want to apply pressure to Spirit management. So lets suppose other airlines do not up-gauge or go out of their way to accommodate Spirit passengers - what is the result. Thousands of ****ed off passenger (potential voters) start complaining to politicians. This will result in more political pressure on both the company and the union. Is this good or bad for the Spirit pilots? This also depends on which way the politicians in power lean - Greedy Fat Cat republicans who support companies or Naive and idealistic tax hungry democrats who will generally support labor (but not necessarily Pilots).

Now suppose other airlines up-gauge and generally accommodate the Spirit passengers - this might be good for the Spirit Pilots. In this case the company may be looking at a prolonged strike (without as much political pressure) and decide to cave in to the Pilots. On the other hand the strike can go on so long that the company folds ( won't be the first time) in which the Pilots are hosed and the Robber Baron management types are hero’s who are welcomed at other companies. Meanwhile the Pilots are now trying to get on as new-hires and start over.

Basically to the keyboard warriors who have been screaming "All pilots at XYZ airlines are Scabs" I humbly (OK arrogantly) but either way, in jest, suggest start playing less checkers and more chess. In any case all we on the line can do is follow the advice of the union, who hopefully have guys working on this full time.

Now regarding the hypotheticals of a DCI strike, let’s say DCI XX starts working toward a strike. 6 months before the strike DAL up-gauges all routes they cover and adds extra sections. They are not on strike yet, so no harm done, and so if they strike when the cooling off period begins DAL has got them by the balls. Not lets assume the union guys are no slouches either and say they hit their cooling off period and don't strike.

Well John Q. Public with a memory far less than 5 years has forgotten all about airline strikes prior to Spirit (5 years) and was burned. But Johnny with Spirit fresh in mind starts booking away from XX airlines and DAL with extra sections is hurting real bad (think Spy vs. Spy). SO in this case (strike fresh in the publics mind, the threat of a strike is actually better than a strike). So the months go by (threat of strike looming) and people start coming back to XX airlines, lured by cheap tickets and then Bamm!! out of the blue XYZ airlines goes on shrike and so on and so on.

My point is that this whole issue is extremely hard to get your hand on - lots of unintended consequences etc.

Scoop