Because this is a philosophical shift in our government. NOW.. it is that evil corporations are making too much money so they can afford to pay more. Next, it will be you because you are rich. (All airline pilots will fall into this regardless of how much whining we do about our place in the solar system... we ARE rich compared to the rest of America) They are going to eventually get to means testing your retirement. I wouldn't be surprised if they change the rules on your ROTH IRA and 401k. Progressive math does not work. Redistribution of wealth is what this is all about, and they are going to be successful because there are more people taking than being taken from.

As a follow on, I wouldn't be surprised to see the company ask for a minimum number of flight hours/month in order to qualify for health benefits....

Oh, and Florida will not be participating in the state exchanges. Rick Scott et al decided to let The One pay for it since he had it all figured out even before anybody read the bill..... Fast track to the progressive wet dream of single payer system.... I think he's just trying to help.

 

T,
Just my opinion, but this LOA would probably have gone no differently if DPA was in charge. This was 100% in house DALPA. I will be interested to read the various dissenting opinions between the reps.

Another opinion I have, based on SDs last letter to the troops is that no matter how much each of us is bent to think like managers, or investment grade whatevers, SD and management looks at us like children and incapable of rational managerial thought...

It was an interesting and entertaining back and forth last night, but one thing all of us can probably agree on, we were almost all completely in the dark about the details and nuance of what this LOA involved (that didn't stop us) and we argued with each other based on the standard "battle lines."

Why was this LOA which, IMO, was negotiated over a period of time done in such secrecy? Why were we not educated on the nuance by our CBA? Why was there no MEMRAT?

Are we a bunch of idiots? Do our reps view us the same as SD views us? This LOA was the perfect set up for one of those Hitler videos.

As to the leverage question, if the company comes to us, we have leverage. The amount of that leverage is the question mark.

There are a couple of things I THINK are facts.
1. This doesn't have anything to do with 15 pax/day, that number will get much larger.
2. The end result of the LOA will require fewer DAL jets to do the same job.

 

+1

Sounds to me like an issue about a few slots and a few pax turned into another reason to watch pax get on another company's jet. Also, history has PROVEN that 85% can easily be changed (if that what the number is)

 

Scambo, I agree as I had thought that transparency was the new DALPA. We need to change to Memrat on things like this. This whole LOA was done in secrecy without member input, even though I like the floor on minimum block hours. From the folks I have talked to Asia flying is going to grow and evolve.

 

No, I explained to her that the Republicans in Congress hate the President so much, that they can't bear the idea that he gets to govern a while, and so 100% of their energy is spent on obstructing anything and everything he does. They can't compromise, they can't negotiate, and they're held by the throat by a few radicals, so that they never can even entertain the idea of working towards the center, or they get yanked out of office.

Turns out she knows some other cuss words. Must be from her mother's side of the family.

It was a perfect morning, really.

...

We really want politics on APC?

 

Disagree that it was done in secret, and agree on the MEMRAT. I asked my reps for it specifically.

 

I'm trying to think through this, and you may have a point on leverage and numbers. I doubt this is about the current codeshare, but maybe the idea is that we could previously stop further codesharing. I'd have to see the language + the notepad, and the existing language. Did the previous limitation address specific existing codeshares, or codesharing in general?

 

Let me tell you how the real world works--a world completely divorced from the world of internet message boards.

Several years ago Microsoft had a cash hoard of $54 billion. Then the CEO Steve Ballmer told the employees that they had to pay more for their health insurance, because "Microsoft couldn't afford it."

"What do you mean you can't afford it? We have $54 billion sitting in the bank!" was the answer.

His answer was "That's not your money, that's the shareholders' money."

So Microsoft then proceeded to get rid of ALL of the cash hoard, either through a one time special dividend of $3 a share, and the rest through a stock buyback. The employees didn't get ONE CENT.

That my friend, is the real world, and that is before the "Affordable" Care Act liberal wet dream was enacted.

Now I want you to join the negotiating committee and adopt the tactic of barge into room/pound fist on table/demand, demand, demand/collect lots of $ from the company and accolades from the pilots.

Voila, as simple as that.

If that works, I will be the first to congratulate you.

 

...

The problem is, the center keeps getting moved to the left. And I don't mean Red vss Blue. I mean Jefferson/Bastiat verses the tyrants. Evan Hamilton would would be aghast at "the center." The purpose of government is to protect liberty....period. Anything else is "off center." Anything else guarantees that groups will fight over each other's money and want the government to make it "fair." This is the essence of "Democracy" which our Founders rejected.

Radical? Sure, if you compare to the current landscape. Radical? Jefferson was a "radical" by current standards.

They are not "radical", they are Restorers.

There has been too much "centering" and "compromise".

May I recommend "The Law"-Bastiat.

 

I say the above to point out that we, as airline pilots need to realize how the real world works, and no amount of laws or "pattern bargaining" is going to change the REAL economy and the forces that are destroying it.

I love my job, but hate the industry... an industry that is anything but "deregulated."