Oh come on johnso, you're still my buddy-- I'm just talking about one small item in the contract that has been of conversational interest the last few days, sick call policing. I was having you on about your perceived cheerleading for this single issue is all... Well, OK, I did have a BUNCH of caffeine and poke a Lumberg joke at you too

I actually didn't say Delta was sooo mean nor do I even think it really, and I don't think I've ever written anything specifically bad against DALPA--I've pointed negatives in the TA that I think are worse than folks realized. I complained about the budgetary whiplash that the POM system had on our squadron finances too, but no one ever mis-thought I therefore hated the USAF or our country and should quit! I assume that discussing two or three negatives out of several thousand possible topics is automatically calculated to a 0.05 dissatisfaction quotient, but you're obviously not reading my inputs with the same assumptions. I'm 99% pro-Delta and STILL feel OK with discussing the few things that negatively impact my career.

I don't actually have any agenda here, just occasional conversational interests and an urge to type.

In fact, my underlying feeling is that, having been an Ops Officer tasked with enforcement before, I would probably do EXACTLY the same thing as the CPOs and Delta--I've not seen a single case where the CPO made a poor choice IMO after calling to verify. I'm very pleased with their execution of their orders on this, and would have to agree with folks who previously pointed out there was a sanity-check by a human in the process that would likely work. But that's not what I talked about at all--I only mentioned the impact of the rule existing as it does. I guess you could liken my philosophy on this to an ACLU guy who doesn't like a law congress passed and thinks it may be exploited and is dangerous, but is happy with the police enforcement at present. Just because he works to have the law recognized as poor and needing change doesn't mean he hates the police and firemen hey?

I'll go on record for you here also as saying I'm universally impressed with all interactions I've personally had with DALPA and reps, and have huge respect for anyone who takes the giant effort of volunteering or running for rep. God bless them I say. I'm not sure about upper level union workings so I don't comment on them and just read. I do think the TA was overly sold and that a better representational result would have been a less biased presentation of info good and bad. In similar vein, I'm impressed with the volunteers who mod and make this place happen too, thx!

And leaping to the conclusion I'm bitter and angry...lol this typing is happening while I wait for cupcakes I'm making with my daughter to finish, then we're going swimming. It's a GREAT life, and a great job, and I'm about as pleased with it all as possible, wouldn't change a thing.

Now what in there makes you think I dislike all things DALPA and Delta? It's just a sick call discussion, and I was on a rhetorical roll and enjoying my prose, baby! Ok, I'll stop joshing you with the Lumberg jokes. Lighten up Francis!

 

I appreciate your suggestion, but you can't help someone who isn't interested in being helped. Do you see these "brothers" showing any appreciation for the hard work that our Reps, NC, MEC, or other people are putting in? Do you see them doing anything other then attacking and insulting those that disagree with them?

I'm well aware of the data that our union is collecting. It has been done in the past as well. Several pages back I encouraged people who are being called to send their info to the union. But if they don't want to be helped, then DALPA can't help them. And quite frankly if I am going to be attacked for simpy disagreeing with people, then I find it hard to have much desire to help them.

 

Johnso,

Insulting, berating and being disloyal to their union is a member's prerogative under the legal standards which govern unions. The union owes it's members a "fiduciary duty" which basically means putting their interests before it's own. It has to deal with them in the upmost good faith.

The standard might not be fair, but it is what it is. The union has to help them, even the ones with the DPA stickers who purposely try to undermine our association.

A person who stabs his union in the back is a fool. As long as the union represents them, they should want the strongest, most effective, representation they can get.

Mostly, union work is a thankless job. Mostly union leaders are not given the credit, or respect, they are due. The only way to reconcile this reality is to realize from the get go that union service really is a humble job, undertaken because you want to help others in the profession. It is extremely frustrating, but like raising children, you have to take the tantrums and still love 'em.

(not specifically directed at you ... I just got on my soap box)

 

Roadkill,

Thanks for the reply. I probably overreacted, & for that I'm sorry. I'm generally an upbeat person, and I feel like I get hammered for it on here. If I disagree, I'm a DALPA/DAL cheerleader.

Here's my final take on the current sick policy. It's likely that, intentional or not, the boundaries of our current policy will be crossed by the company. So it's critical to become familiar with the policy and our contractual rights. When in doubt, PLEASE document, document, document & consult your Rep. The company has had it's hand smacked before for sick leave monitoring. I've seen DALPA stand up to this recently. I believe they'll do it again. But they have to have data to back up their claim.

Our current contract isn't perfect, but I feel like it is a decent one. Enjoy your time with your family, & I hope the cupcakes are good.

 

In this hypothetical, when is this individual calling in sick? For the 7th Christmas in a row? If YES, then that's absolutely fair territory IMO.

 

Fair enough. Back to your previous post is it ok to berate & insult their fellow "brothers" who disagree with them? Since I voted NO, should I be allowed to call all of the YES voters "candidates in the running for CP" or an "ALPA cheerleader"?

 

Did someone forget to pass that on to TWA ALPA leaders and ALPA National? Who are you kidding, you know ALPA will do what they can to increase and retain their membership. 10 grand AA pilots coming into ALPA would have been a huge score. That set the grounds for a DFR. What's ALPA owe now to TWA pilots? 1.7 billion? If (and that's a huge if) DPA took over and ALPA was kicked, that would be the end of ALPA.

 

......and now we go full circle. First the claim is made that the re-fleeting was going to happen anyway and therefore it means nothing and now we have the claim that the re-fleeting was completely dependent upon us and:

1. We sold out the next generation of pilots
2. We set too low a price for the sellout

Our total compensation went up over $1 billion over 3.5 years. Just to compare that increase alone is probably worth about 15 years of the entire Compass contract, so if you are talking about selling out cheap, then look in the mirror. Surely if tough guys like you would all quit en masse then the RJ problem would dissolve immediately. So when are you sending your resignation letter in? Or are you going to continue to sell out the profession?

Since the TA Delta has announced the retirement of over 220 RJ's and have purchased 40 new ones. They are adding 88 growth 717's and now it seems as if some of the 737-900's will be growth rather than replacement aircraft. There is much talk of another 30 narrow bodies in the near future.

The SWA pilots have averaged less than 1.5% raises per year over the last 5 years, so I am not sure you should point out their praises. They are working as hard as they can to steal the Captain jobs from the AirTran pilots so I am not sure how they set the example for the next generation of pilots.

People like you are just hyperfocused on one aspect of the contract, RJ's above 50 seats and judge the entire world on that one aspect. Luckily, the majority of Delta pilots disagreed with your view of the world through a soda straw.

Looking forward to hearing of your resignation so you can show us how to take a stand for the profession.

 

Personally, I've started to become a big fan of banking our sick time.
I've heard that's how NWA pilots had it set up. It'd be nice to have the set aside just in case you ever needed it.

I'm willing to bet sick calls would go down dramatically as well. Why should guys who abuse the system be the only ones who benefit from it? I am not a use it or lose it type of guy, if I'm sick, I'm sick I could careless what the policy is at that point. While I may disagree with the use it or lose it mentality, I certainly understand why some people take that perspective.

 

Downside would be the guys that come to work sick just to save those hours.