Originally Posted by
sailingfun
Can you post a link to those documents.
The quickest, easiest, way for you to begin your review is to begin with the NWA Zip Lines. Chairman Mark McClain in his publication dated 18 October 2004 provided a synopsis of their tentative agreement which was designed to allow Northwest (now Delta) to achieve "safe harbor" by avoiding bankruptcy. This publication illustrates the pattern that was established and repeated in concessionary bargaining until our Companies emerged from bankruptcy and merged.
Here is a thumbnail. Northwest was seeking cost savings and the savings were negotiated and allocated as follows:
- Pay Reductions $161 million
- Sick leave $3.8 million
- Medical / Dental Insurance co pays $9.2 million
- Allowing the company to roll down balance sheet charges on pension funding (not a pension change an accounting change) $72 million
- Scope - $15 million ... in this paragraph the Northwest MEC takes credit for being the first to receive dollar credits for such a provision.
Unfortunately Northwest Airlines did not avoid bankruptcy on the basis of these pilot concessions and what was intended to be an off property 70 seat operation staffed by Northwest pilots became Compass and now has been flipped to Trans States. That is the story on the E175's.
Originally Posted by
sailingfun
As far as a judge invalidating scope its never really been a issue so of course no judge has ruled on it. If you go back and read the court transcripts if they are still available you will see the judge seemed to have no question in his mind it was within his authority.
I see where you are coming from. Judges have broad authority and talk tough when trying to compel parties to reach an agreement. Judges also get overturned on appeal. ALPA's history at the Courthouse is unfortunately abysmal ... a symptom of lawyers who practice politics more than law. I am in no position to gauge how serious our Reps felt the threat was.
We agree that an agreement was reached by mutual consent. That is the factual history. The results speak for themselves and what gets stated at a public hearing and what happens behind closed doors are entirely different. Depositions, past practice and ALPA publications descriptive of the process used during concessionary bargaining seem clear to me.
PM sent with regard to the Delta negotiations. No need for collateral damage over something that happened years ago... and to my F-NWA friends, my apologies for airing your dirty laundry while keeping mine tucked away.