Originally Posted by
Splash
Nope. I'm in the "structure and effort we used to achieve the C2K rates we now wish to restore should be supported and encouraged" camp. ALPA got that contract through the unity and forward-looking focus of the Delta pilots. United had gotten a big-step contract just before, and ALPA pattern-bargained C2K. You like C2K. You'd like to set that as our baseline.
Me too.
Only one problem with your premise. C2K increases were not anything like the kind of increases that you and I both agree will be necessary to restore our profession. The "structure and effort" you talk about was used to correct the 1996 concessionary contract rates with about a 35% increase. The company was making record profits (kind of like today) and a couple of other major airlines had far surpassed our 1996 concessionary rates. While I'll certainly give some credit to the strategy that was used under the circumstances, I think you also have to recognize that we were in very favorable circumstances. Could we have lived with something somewhat less than +35%? I think we could have. That, however is not the case today. We cannot afford to make anything less than very significant progress towards restoration with this next contract. It sounds like you and I agree on that. And +35% would be nowhere near sufficient to restore our buying power.
Now, we're digging out of an initial 42% hole on rates. We've had what amount to a few cost of living increases to these BK/emergency rates. Bottom line is that it would take about +70% to get us back to the buying power we had prior to the massive, unprecedented pay cuts. There is a HUGE difference between getting a 35% increase under ideally favorable conditions, and getting a +70% increase under conditions that are not likely to be completely favorable. Do you really think that the same strategy used for C2K is going to get us anything like +70%? How about partial restoration at +50%?
See, what your kind of thinking is doing IMO, is setting us up for failure. I'm glad that you agree we should be pursuing restoration. But again, how do we achieve something so monumental without formally identifying it as our objective and setting the appropriate tone and expectations? I don't see it getting done with Lee Moak's strategy. Not in a million years!
Originally Posted by
Splash
This thread is about the DPA. The DPA doesn't have the unity, structure, or support to get us C2K-style gains. Their advisors and law firm are losers (PFAA, AMFA, etc). Their unity building consists largely of "ALPA sucks!".
There is perhaps some truth to what you say. Or at least it may appear to be a legitimate criticism. IMO, DPA has not done a particularly good job of addressing some of these concerns. But, again, absent a significant change in strategy from ALPA, I am willing to give something else a try. Like I said before... I'd rather try and fail than fail to try!