Today's Crew Resources memo was a huge boot in the nadz. Can you imagine if something like that had come out about a month prior to the C2012 vote??

I love the "Bounce Back" thing, re. the 100 displacements and parking the 757's next year.

Yeah...how do you bounce back to an airplane that's gone?

OH...you'll bounce back alright, but from the 88 to the 737!

But you were on the 767?

No soup for you!

Not to worry about those 3% pay increases though, we'll be back in contract negotiations by March or April of 2013.

Oh wait...

 

Damm, why can't we get some like minded individuals such as you running our union.....pull the current guys out of bed with management and start making up some ground for the profession instead of constantly falling backwards. We get our rears handed to us big time on these contracts and the loopholes and one sided deals...unacceptable.
Btw, I see what Ed did here:

EB conveniently made it sound like the 70 seat and above jets were with mainline by implying the other than 34,44 and 50 seaters where the "mainline" airplanes our customers tell us they much prefer. A sin of omission if you will. The semantic games our management play gets really old.

 

I think now would be an appropriate time to post an alternative to what we have been getting:

DPA
1. Dues structure: 1st Year = 1.75%, 2nd Year = 1.5%, 3rd Year = 1.25%, 4th Year and beyond = 1%, .5% flex up during negotiations
2. No dues on profit sharing or other bonuses. Flex up dues fully accountable and unused portion returned after contract signed.
3. Dues savings annual average: Captains will save approximately $2,000, First Officers will save approximately $1,400.
4. DPA projects annual dues income of $35,000,000 at 1.75%, $30,000,000 at 1.5%, $25,000,000 at 1.25% and $20,000,000 at 1%
5. With a $15,000,000 annual budget, DPA will amass $35,000,000 excess in two years, more than ALPA’s (uncommitted) MCF total.
6. All dues collected will be used exclusively for Delta Pilot mandates.
7. DPA is now recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)5 Non-Profit Labor Organization. Constitution and By-Laws are posted.
8. DPA has guarantee letters for Aeromedical Services and Insurance products from Harvey Watt, ING and Great Southern Life.
9. The contract remains in force when DPA is certified. DPA will enter the normal negotiating cycle specified in the PWA.
10. DPA has no interest in addressing the Seniority List in any way. We are Delta Pilots working together for our future.
11. DPA uses open surveys with posted results. Delta Pilots can hold DPA accountable for survey results. Unity in purpose.
12. DPA will operate 8 Seniority Blocks of 1,500 pilots each. Each Block will have two Reps who are living those seniority issues.
13. Delta Pilots will VOTE for the DPA President and all other officer/representative positions.
14. Delta Pilots will see resumes and statements of intent for all elected positions including Committee Chair positions.
15. Out of almost 5,400 DPA Members, over 1,700 are ATL based, 1,100 are DTW based, 700 are MSP based and 700 are NYC based.
16. DPA is not “militant”. As an independent union, we hang our hat on Delta’s success. We will enforce a solid contract, however.
17. Professional negotiators will pursue Delta Pilot demands formed through open surveys.
18. All members will have full access to all finances, online, all the time.
19. Members may participate in video-teleconference Seniority Block meetings and be heard. DPA will exploit technology.
20. DPA leaders may not take management jobs for five years after serving the Delta Pilots.
21. Dues dollars will not be used to purchase alcohol at union meetings.
22. DPA is not “angry”, just determined to remove a broken association and achieve what is best/long overdue for Delta Pilots.
23. DPA will not represent any regional carriers. We will pursue all flying under the Delta brand if directed to by the Delta Pilots.
24. DPA will pursue contract improvements in all areas, even if some areas do not generate more dues dollars as a result.
25. DPA is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO or any other entity. Delta Pilots will direct who we affiliate with.
26. DPA leaders will be paid the ALV of the position bid plus a service override. DPA leaders will fly a half line minimum each month.
27. DPA leaders will not have a special pension that the Delta Pilot group does not also have.
28. DPA will be frugal with Delta Pilot dues contributions and seek to return excess to the members through refunds and benefits.
29. DPA will not face lawsuits from other airline pilot groups. There will be no conflicts of interest with other carriers.
30. DPA’s only desire is to exclusively represent the Delta Pilot group in whatever the 11,750 Pilots direct. Period.

Que the ALPA guys who will parrot their only talking points: "With that crazy Tim in charge I would never join the "fringe" group" (even though every single person including the new president will be elected by and for the pilot group)...."USAPA got nowhere and they are one in the same with DPA." (DPA is not USAPA the same way SWAPA is not USAPA)...."This is only about NWA guys trying to grab seniority back" (it's not and never was).

 

Why is Fast Eddie still working here?

I think he's the only Management Tool who survived Bankruptcy.

"I lie awake at night worried that we didn't take enough from the Delta Pilots..."

And then Moak went to his Birthday Party.

 

VS what we have been getting:

ALPA FACT SHEET
1. Dues structure: 1.95% (1.90% effective 2014). Almost twice as expensive as other independent unions.

2. Takes dues on profit sharing and other bonuses.

3. Refuses to publish online Flight Pay Loss (in dollars paid) for DALPA Reps back to 2010 when required by resolution and ignored.

4. Delta gives over $39,000,000 annually to ALPA National, 34% of its income. Delta Pilots get back only 1/3rd for our use.

5. ALPA’s NET assets fell to $39,000,000 as of 12/31/2012. MCF is at $33,000,000 in uncommitted funds, ½ of the $70M required.

6. ALPA dues ($53,305) were used in 2012 to send American Eagle regional pilots to Six Flags Over Texas and baseball games.

7. ALPA is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Delta Pilots have not approved this affiliation through a survey.
8. ALPA artificially lowered optional insurance rates below the ALPA negotiated Delta optional rates. Conflict of interest.

9. ALPA negotiated contracts are sloppy, full of loopholes and only enforced when it suits ALPA agendas. (Codeshare, bunks, etc.)

10. ALPA is unable to fully represent either side of a dual ALPA carrier merger. It must remain neutral or be sued.

11. Surveys results are not published, except the Age 60 survey which ALPA then ignored. No accountability. No unity.

12. ALPA refuses to follow survey results in selecting contract goals. Member mandates are ignored.

13. Delta Pilots are not allowed to vote for ALPA President/Officers or MEC Chairmen/Officers. Cronyism is rampant.

14. Conflict of Interest lawsuits are destroying ALPA finances. TWA - $1.7 Billion Damage Trial to conclude soon.

15. AirTran DFR, UAL Furlough Longevity and CAL Military lawsuits also currently in progress against ALPA. Legal fees are enormous.

16. Unity Resolution of 2000 affirms long-standing goal of recruiting independent unions, yet fails to represent current members.

17. Extravagant spending disrespects the membership. $360 per night hotel rooms, $1.5 Million BOD meeting on the beach in FL.

18. Refuses to publish online itemized pay and benefits received by local and national officers/representatives.

19. National officers/employees have a special pension benefit while the membership does not.

20. ALPA leaders often take management positions after union work is finished. Randy Babbitt is now SWA VP of Labor Relations.
21. Dues dollars are used to purchase alcohol at union meetings.

22. ALPA Toolbox is useless against a fellow ALPA carrier or any other carrier ALPA is attempting to recruit.

23. ALPA represents regional carriers. ALPA used the Delta contract to benefit regional members. (35% ALPA new hires, 76 seaters)

24. ALPA is allowing AF/KLM Joint Venture Scope non-compliance through a poorly crafted contract.

25. ALPA cannot stop trading scope for pay because it benefits its regional members.

26. ALPA designated reps are paid 92 hours monthly for position they could hold plus a $1,500/$1,000 stipend. Super seniority.

27. ALPA refuses to show the accounting books or officer names/salaries of offshore subsidiary Kitty Hawk Insurance Co.


28. ALPA National President received 2012 increase in total compensation from $540,408 to $576,968.

29. ALPA is $75M in debt. It is taking out more and more loans to cover legal expenses in multiple conflict of interest lawsuits.

30. ALPA’s first goal is to grow membership and associated dues income. Representing current members is secondary.

31. ALPA has taken in and been responsible for over $3 BILLION in total income since 2000. Has only $39M in NET assets left.

32. Minimum ALPA Designated Rep annual pay: CA Roberts - $283K, CA Van Sickle - $293K, FO Guilfoyle - $247K, FO Fries - $225K, CA Dominguez - $277K, FO Rogers - $247K, FO Olmstead - $225K, FO Coons - $229K – FO Nevins - $193K.

33. Jobs promised in last contract. No hiring for all of 2012 or 2013. 757s to be parked and 737s will replace..…pay cut.

34. ALPA Reps stated that Delta had no more left to give in last contract. Delta gives investors $1 BILLION (dividend and buyback) as a result. ALPA should have listened to the pilots instead of pursuing different agenda.

 

My rep told me a number a couple years back, 9500, and I thought he was nuts. Once again, looks like what he said was spot on. Gross.

 

Jack- If the dudes running the DPA are so much more truthful and forthcoming, why do they continue to say that they are only XX cards away from calling a vote while many (maybe even most) of the cards have expired?

My worries on the ramifications of C2012 are slowly and unfortunately playing out, but I'm not going to replace the turd that is ALPA with a fresh steaming turd that would be the DPA.

 

Our union put forward a TA last year that required fewer pilots to operate the airline, it's that simple. At the road show the reps said "this TA is staffing positive". Either they lied to us or they weren't smart enough to see what the company was doing.

We actually fell for "we'll only get these airplanes if you ratify this TA" line. The really sickening thing is that we helped the company get rid of the 50 seaters only to give them more airplanes that directly compete with mainline jobs. Throw in the moving target JV compliance window and this contract really stings.

Im not sure that DPA is the answer, I do however believe that DALPA is part of the problem. IMO protecting jobs should be something that all Delta pilots agree on, yet we continually vote on things that give them away. Why is that?

 

Anyone notice that the crew resources memo stated that hiring has not been approved yet? It did not say "no" hiring, just not approved yet.


I really think they are just completely shooting from the hip and have no clue what is going on.

 

Lots of holes in your "facts" Jack.

Just off the top of my head:

AF/KLM is not out of JV compliance contractually.

FPL is published on the ALPA website and has always been available via the treasurer.

We can't do this alone. Being a big union does hav benefits in Washington despite what you want to believe. Lobbying is a necessary evil and the independents are not present there.

I never heard a rep say there wasn't any more money. In the moment we didn't know, and just because they're spending it now doesn't mean we could have gotten it

Many other "facts" are more opinions from those that didn't get their way.

For the record I would have loved to have gotten more, but I made the best decision I could at the time and I am completely comfortable with how I voted. Your list is how you wish things to be, not how they really are.

I will concede that ALPA, like any large organization has many things it needs to work on. I'm not looking out for the best interests of ALPA-I'm concerned with the best interests of the delta pilot group. I just happen to think that ALPA is the best tool we have to get us there.

I urge you, and everyone else to engage the process/organization that we do have to improve our careers. Saying "those ALPA guys will never listen to us" is a cop out. We are all "those ALPA guys" and if you choose not to participate you have proxied your voice to those that will. This is not meant to be inflammatory-I sincerely hope that you will show up to meetings, talk to your reps, volunteer for something, write an article for your LEC's publication, etc...get involved.