Wow, very well stated.

Reminds me of a MMA fight for the heavyweight championship. Everyone knows that there's no way you can be the champ (C2K restoration), unless you step into the octagon. But if you feel like your getting killed in your attempt to be champ, you can always tap-out (Really big improvements in pay and reversing outsourcing).

What's happening now is the realization that one of the fighters (DALPA) is tapping out at the weigh-in (cost neutral TA), and everyone's standing around asking: "Can somebody tap-out at the weigh in??"

Carl

 

Spot on.

Carl

 

Go to the Federal Circle stop, downstairs I guess there is a shuttle to the cargo areas. I have not personally done this, but a CX cargo buddy of mine has. No idea of how often they run or what.

http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/jfk-airtrain-map.pdf

 

THanks for the info....trying to get home for my 2 days off.

 

I know Delta can only get chunks of 900s after they get similar chunks of a narrowbody-like airframe. I just hope it's as airtight as it should be.

Who counts the numbers? Who verifies the numbers? And do they need to sign an NDA?

In 2007 Delta and Comair/ALPA signed a fleet guarantee that said only 10% of our 50s could be parked early. However, I couldn't find anybody at ALPA who had the lease return dates keyed to tail number - "The Plan".

How do you enforce a fleet guarantee when nobody on your side has seen "The Plan"? Comair could send 8 50s to other DCI carriers in a month and all management needed to say is: STFD, it's "The Plan"

I just hope your airtight ALPA contract with Delta is better than my airtight ALPA contract with Delta.

 

Hey everybody.......I think Carl is spot on with this. My dad was the president of a very large company. I told him whats going on and he gave me his perspective as the top management dog. His advice....vote no.

I'm still stuck on allowing more 76 seaters. That's a no for me. Tsquare, I just can't allow more DC-9 replacement jets without fighting to stop an increase. 70 more dc-9's is a lot. I'm willing to risk our current pathetic scope to improve on what's in the TA. Everything else in the TA I can reluctantly live with. Pay sucks, but i do get the time value crap. Not scope though.

I'll be at the peachtree city roadshow next week to hear the arguements. I've got some smart friends working on a con paper as we speak. Looking forward to reading/seeing their numbers. I know they will be posted here shortly.

 

Hey Carl,

First, thanks for the reply. I do have a question though. You said that your retirement went from 60% FAE to 50% FAE however you reduced your monthly retirement by 50%. In reality, shouldn't it be something more like this:
Assume your FAE is $33,000/mo
Your FAE at 60% would be $19,800/mo
Since it was reduced to 50% FAE shouldn't your pension pay out $16,500/mo?

It was my understanding that we froze the pension at the amount it was at at the time of freezing and therefore, whatever you had earned is what you were to get. I don't remember reading that we not only froze the pension but also cut the value of it by 50%. Is that true?

Thanks,

 

I'm sorry, but your dad may not have an idea about what goes on with unions and bargaining. Normally, pattern bargaining is the way to go, having several unions bargaining to build on each other's gains. We are a legacy that had a BK, and there are others that have done the same. Unfortunately, the others haven't done squat to help us, especially with pattern bargaining. Zilch.

So, what are the options? We can demand more and vote down a TA that was put together by "professional" negotiators (other than our pilot negotiators) who probably know what they are doing, and did the best they could compared to our buddies at UA/AA/US. If we do vote it down, then we have to have a plan, like RA probably has. He probably has a few plans, and plan A may have included a TA and new contract, and then something else. What could that be? We all have a hunch there is something else out there, and they are rushing us to get this done. Maybe ALPA can't say what it is, thanks to one of those confidentiality agreements we all hate. Maybe that is why the pay was underwhelming to all of us? Maybe RA's plan B is to move along with plan A if we vote NO, and then get back to us down the road, at a time of his choosing? Sound like a scare tactic? Could it be realistic? Things are moving fast right now in this industry, and RA probably doesn't want to be bothered again if this all turns out to be a NO. He also probably knows what ALPA knows about the NMB. I talked to a rep I trust today and he told me about a meeting the MEC had with the new head of that agency. She supposedly said pattern bargaining will rule the day, with AA, UA, and US ONLY. She then added no retro pay, and on average the time length has been 2 1/2 years for mediation. Call your reps and ask about that meeting.

Sound like scare tactics again? If we went that road, how much of a raise would we then ask for? 40%? How has AA done with that request? No spin there. Ask your dad if that could happen or not?

 

Oil is below $90/barrel. The company is poised to make money out the wazoo (as they say in Minnesota). If this keeps up, I could see increasing mainline flying and immediate hiring need. Oh, and a $2.5 Billion profit, which will eventually require the company to set the 20% profit sharing down to 15% or less. Can you imagine them giving away $500+ Million to employees, like an immediate 10-12% pay bump?

 

Bill;

Reading the TA, this is how I perceive the negotiations went:
DAL: We want to do these things.
DALPA: Sounds good, we will make a few changes to the contract to make it appear like we have some gains.
DAL: What about the pilot surveys.
DALPA: Oh, they were just a formality, we believe everything you are telling us and we know what's best.
DAL: Do you think it will be that easy to sell this TA?
DALPA: We will just pretend everything happens in a vacume and emphasize the highpoints.

"Known money was left on the table." TT Council 20 Chairman

The negotiating committee agreed to the deal BEFORE getting MEC approval.

If you see this TA as anything more than a rubber stamp of DAL's corporate desires, I don't know how to make you open your eyes.