Hi. Delta guy here, reading your stuff with interest (because it will affect our own negotiations). Had a A'A jumspeater recently, and he didn't seem to be that interested in factoring in the Profit-Sharing.

I understand that your TA is DAL rates + 7%. Is it clear to you guys that we're routinely adding 8-16% above our own rates, via the PS? It's been at roughly 1 month of pay for the last two years, but 2014 will yield about 2 months, and 2015 and beyond look like they're going to yield 3 or more months, i.e. 25%+.

DAL payrates + 7%, but without the PS, is about DAL -10% using 2014, and DAL -18% for 2015. I don't know how other items factor in. Our DC plan (no A plan left) is 15%, and our ADG (average daily guarantee) is 5:15. A 3-day pays 15:45.

Not trying to be a smart-a$$, I'm just curious to know if you guys understand the impact of the PS. You airline is a powerhouse. It won't make me feel bad if you're paid accordingly.

Good luck.

 

First: that jumpseater was a fool. Second: Assuming you understand the current MOU/MTA/situation...What is your suggestion sink?

 

Hi Al. I don't presume to tell you guys what to do, because my understanding is superficial. I guess it would hinge on whether I thought the arbitrator had the authority to delete your "me-too" adjustment clause.

 

My take (which may be way off) is that we are stuck in the parameters of the MOU. This MOU set the financial bottom line if this was to go to arbitration. It also took away PS as well as other good work rules front the east and west and moved to the green book at AA. The leverage we have is HBT and the combination of Dom/Intl which everyone is realizing is a large want from the company. Sink, you are 100% correct in your financial analysis. Many don't understand that. The big mistake was the MOU passage. It's split milk at this point.

 

The REAL leverage is the Health Care, but the others help. Look, just like every CBA adjustment opportunity in the past, 2020 will be a "cost-neutral" exercise. Problem is at that point, we will have the lowest pay scales of the big three, no desirable scheduling provisions for Parker to cherry-pick as it doesn't get any more productive and flexible for them with PBS COMBINED with HBT, division consolidation and tighter reserve report language, gutted Health Care to an Obamacare equivalent.

What else is there of interest, except scope ?

Parker and Kirby will once again put us in a quid-pro-quo position of trading (AKA "cost-neutral) and thus if we want pay scales raised again to temporarily match or slightly exceed Delta (until they leapfrog us again shortly thereafter), we'll have to trade the only thing left. If we don't, Parker will be perfectly happy to kick the can for many years with the cheapest pilots in the legacy business.

Personally, come 2020, I'll advocate a quick raise vs. long-term considerations just like the majority will likely do now. I'll also demand it be put to pilot vote just as the majority are doing now and the majority then will be aged between the mid-upper 50's to 64, so you know what's going to happen there. Parker certainly does and for Glass, that's his specialty as this whole mess proves.

No free ride with this ratification. A steep bill will be due with Health Care (essentially they'll get all the money the shell out for slightly higher, slightly earlier raises back and break even (cost-neutral) in 5 years, but they're smart because they are BUYING something now with that money and that is a fragmented, gutted union devoid of leverage and bankrupt of assets and unity. Parker and Glass consider the temporary bribe they'll shell out now to simply be a ghost loan and an investment with staggering future dividends. But, as usual the majority of dopey pilots will do what they always have in the past.

Fall for it.

 

IF health care is the real leverage why has the union's focus been -

profit sharing
then calendar day
then retro

with barely a word said about health care?

 

Good question.

What did they **** up this airline by inviting Parker ? Why did they turn the LBFO's and equity claim process into a cluster**** and SELL them to us ? Why did they make so many bad decisions in this JCBA process and in the past ?

All good questions. I suppose the only answer is that as it stands now, APA has become the "Keystone Cops" of airline pilot unions and there ARE no answers.

 

First off the F-ing contract language was not available until a couple of days ago... so how did we know what hidden thievery was in it? So give us a break for not being clairvoyant, ok?

The CLT reps have put out a blast identifying the Medical Concessions and early analysis shows it could be on the order of the Pension theft, but much more subtle.

WHY ARE WE ARGUING OVER CONCESSIONS?

This carpetbagger is raking in $10 Billion in the first two years and we are arguing over concessions?

Y.G.T.B.F.S.M.

HE promised to pay us Delta pay. HE can keep his promise now. Its time for him to keep his promise. Its time for us to demand he does.

 

We are all aware that total DL compensation is well above AA compensation. The problem is, as pointed out, that any arbitrated decision must fit within the economic box known as the MTA. That's the part that's got our hands tied at this point. While cost-neutral helps us not lose anything, it won't allow us to gain anything either.

 

The point of rejection (among other things) is to have the potential to gain things in the future. In order to do that, we still must possess something to do that WITH. It's referred to as "leverage".