Originally Posted by
BoilerUP
I understand that...but it doesn't change the fact that Compass was the *best* opportunity Delta pilots had to recapture the large small jet flying that apparently is the biggest threat to their careers.
And they seemingly walked away from it without a second thought.
If Compass had been kept under mainline ALPA, wouldn't it have strengthened DALPA's their case for accreting that flying? Sure, DALPA would have had to take the Compass pilots too (which apparently will happen anyway) but I imagine a staple along with some sort of fence could have been negotiated.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know the ins & outs of Compass/Delta/NWA and certainly don't know the internal politics...but at least for a while, Compass was owned by Delta and their pilots represented by DALPA (unlike Comair & Mesaba)...I'm not sure the process going forward will be any less complicated than that.
Simply put, DALPA can't put compass pilots on its list. This is because the JCBA allows for Compass to operate. It is up to management whether or not they want to merge the two together. Having compass represented by the mainline MEC is completely independent of scope recapture during section 6 negotiations.
The problem with scope recapture is how management wants to approach it. In the 2012 contract DALPA could theoretically make section 1 one sentence: "All Delta Flying will be done by Delta seniority list pilots under the provisions of this CBA". It is now up to management to comply with that provision, this is where things could get ugly. Management can then say that they will have to merge with skywest/ASA, comair, compass, etc. Since they don't have the cash to buy out the contracts of these companies and operate the jets at mainline. Then you face the SLI of all the regionals with the mainline. This is the situation ALPA will do whatever it takes to avoid.