Wait! How do you know that? You've seen the polling data!?!?! Whoa, what did it say? I'd love to know from someone who was there!

 

Are you kidding me??!! If we're to follow your analogy, then it would be consistent in saying RA was playing chess, while DALPA was silently screaming "Here it comes, here it comes, KING ME!" That poker comparison insults me. Am I not trustworthy with the data?

 

You know, ice tea doesn't come off computer screens all that well!!!

Too funny.

 

I don't know you personally, but I would wager that you as an individual are trustworthy and would keep the data confidential. It's about something much bigger than each of our individual curiosities.

We see things differently, which is normal in a large group of people with different perspectives. I'd prefer that knowledge be held as closely as possible. I get to nominate, campaign, and vote for the pilot I think will best represent me, and I trust them to do that job; I I am dissatisfied I retain the ability to try and recall that rep.

We are constantly playing poker through a proxy... I don't want the other team to know the important strategies and what our throw-away items are. YMMV.

 

Shiz,

Thanks for your response. I don't want to turn this into a pi**ing contest, but I did want to respond to the part of your post I quoted above.

I don't know when you came aboard, but back before 9/11 Delta alone had 10,000 pilots on it's seniority list. The huge growth in the number of regional pilots was at the direct expense of Delta pilots (and pilots at other mainline carriers).

Call me selfish, but I'm more concerned about my fellow Delta pilots than the jobs of regional pilots, be they ALPA members or not.

Serious Question (for any and all):

My nephew emailed me and asked: Do have any idea what the future of the 100-seaters is going to be? I know the Japanese and Russians are trying to re-enter the aerospace market, plus there is the new Bombardier plane. I'd imagine that there would be a decent market for planes in size between a CRJ700 & an A319?

I briefly explained the scope clause concept, and the history over the last 20 years of ever larger size, and numbers of, regional jets being operated by non-mainline carriers. But where's it go from here? Will the next negotiating team again trade larger regional jets (or more of them) for pay rates (admittedly with the approval of the Delta pilots)? Or will they (the negotiating team, and/or the MEC, and/or the Delta pilot group) hold the line on scope? Would Delta buy a 100 seat aircraft in significant numbers if it was operated by Delta pilots?

Curious as to others' thoughts...

 

Wait! You've seen the results and know that the negotiators got close to what we wanted? Amazing how that argument goes both ways.

 

What "doesn't seem like a very smart thing" to me is allowing "our" "union" to use such a flimsy excuse to avoid accountability to its constituents.

But hey, ALPA did negotiate with the company to make it easier for themselves to schedule their Flight Pay Loss and other ALPA business. So ALPA dealt itself a straight, and the line pilots get a queen high again.

 

Thanks from a military family.

Delta Honor Guard - YouTube

 

I don't know you personally either, but I know enough to be able to trust you with the survey results.
BTW, my throwaway items get thrown out prior to the survey. And I'm not sure you need to have Bud Fox on the inside to know we want something that smells like C2000.
I guess we do see things differently.

 

Here's what Leo the CEO said to my In Command class, back in about summer of 2001, (prior to 9-11) r.e. RJ's.

The conversation started with him speaking about the importance of Customer Service. It was pointed out to him, by a Captain in the class, that all those Delta RJ's were providing Substandard Customer Service. Many others jumped in, with horror stories about ASA's pizz poor performance down there on Course C.

Leo's answer was, "We know there's a problem on Concourse C, but we can't get any good help for $10/hr. and there's a lot of turnover." etc.

Then someone asked him why Mainline Pilots couldn't be flying the RJ's, and if that would improve the ops. etc.

Leo's answer was, "We can't afford to let you fly them, even if you flew them at the exact same pay rates we are paying ASA's Pilots, because Delta pays you a 30% override for your health and retirement benefits."

So...what's changed since 2001?

Well, we went bankrupt, our pay has been slashed back to 1996 levels, we lost our retirements, and we pay a bunch out of pocket for our medical insurance, so we must be more 'cost competitive' with the RJ pilots today, than we were then.

In fact, I think that's part of the reason you are seeing the 50 seaters go away, and we are getting the 717's, because we are more cost competitive at that end of the scale. Will we as a group vote to outsource the 100 seater? I'm betting we aren't that stupid, but I've been wrong before on scope sales, too many times, unfortunately.