Originally Posted by
DAL 88 Driver
From your perspective, the last six years have been pretty darn good for you. You finally made it to the big leagues. The money's not great, or even what you expected when you got into the career... but, hey, at least you're finally here. You're a really good networker, and you've established quite a reputation as the great "dot connector" here on APC. Wouldn't want to do anything to rock the boat with any possibility of making things less stable and having some kind of glitch that might hamper whatever ladder you're trying to climb. How am I doing so far?
Yes, I did, and only after getting the door slammed in my face in 2001. It is called patience, dealing with what is in front of me, and not trying to change the past, but forge a new future.
As for the second part, I have no issue rocking the boat, and speak my mind to anyone who listens, but I respect the process and realize I am one voice out of 12,300 pilots. That is the reality. I do not pick up my toys and go home when I do not get my way. I am used to the word, "NO," but I do not see that as a deterrence to doing the pilots work, nor working to better our careers.
By the way, you are doing poorly, and another mischaracterization of reality.
As for the APA. This is the same crap that the ALPA apologists bring up every time. I think I've been pretty clear that, while I like APA's former focus on objective, I'm not a fan of the "burn down the house" mentality. I think a combination of proactive engagement and assertively advocating that our profession be returned to its appropriate place (and a willingness to stand our ground) is the strategy that is most likely to yield results. Right now, we have the former without the latter.
Reality is that I hear the same thing from this group of sellouts you claim occupy our MEC offices. We all want the same things, we just differ on who can get their the quickest and then sustain it. Big difference.
[quote]
This is all a big load of crap. Sorry. We've been out of bankruptcy for almost half a decade. And yet we're still being compensated as if we are still in bankruptcy and in danger of liquidation. This is a no brainer. The right thing to do is to increase our compensation NOW to bring it to an appropriate level. SWA, as our soon to be biggest competitor in ATL, provides a decent benchmark for what the market will bear for pilots in the airline industry TODAY. This shouldn't be our ultimate objective. But it would be a good start... a partial pay restoration that would bring our average W-2's in line with the W-2's of SWA pilots. I cannot think of ANY valid reason why ALPA would not be pursuing this ASAP. Heck, we even had a couple of resolutions passed to this effect. And ALPA basically ignored them! If the company says yes, then we get a good start towards restoration. If they say no, then we know where we stand, what kind of management we're really dealing with, and how to better proceed going forward. Instead, you ask us to all put our careers and our family's financial futures in the hands of what some other pilot group may or may not do? You're going to pin all our hopes to "pattern bargaining" and how it might benefit us 2 or 3 years from now? Holy cow! What are you thinking, man?? I want the people representing me to be advocating that we are compensated appropriately and that Delta pilots fly Delta passengers. The best way for this profession to be advanced is for the largest airline pilot group to achieve restoration. This kumbaya, group hug stuff you're advocating for our entire profession is just not going to translate into real results... for the pilots. It might for ALPA, the organization/business. But not for the pilots.[quote]
You ever think that a mid term agreement may sell you short of what your potential is, and what you could get in section six?
Another question. What do you think will make DAL management just throw money at this group when we are under an agreement that is not amendable?
If they did, do you think it may quell the angst of this group to the point of being ineffective when we are in section six?
I would bet that a mid term adjustment my be like adding cold water to a pot getting ready to simmer. Might just put too much of the fire out. Just remember that if we get a mid term agreement and then UCAL and APA get agreements that leap frog ours. We jumped up and then darn it, they patterned up on us!
You want Dots, those are dot you need to consider. I also wonder, a few months ago you were ranting about restoration or bust, not you are talking about a mid term. To me you seem like you are willing to accept just about anything to further the ball down the field. Sure glad the guys in ALPA are not willing to sell our pilots short like that.
