Not to contribute to thread drift, but does anybody know if all this new uniform info on the flights ops sight involves the pilot group? The company certainly seems to be spending some serious $$ and resources on it.

Nah, it was textbook Mayweather, although atrocious for anyone crazy enough to pay for any of his fights.

Timbo, you are confusing an average of 89 (not 92) PAY hours, not BLOCK hours.

The two are considerably different. Average block per pilot AFAIK is between 50-60 hours per month.

Otherwise I agree with pretty much everything else you said!

We didn't get "played" George, that's the point. Our MEC administration and the ALPA national "experts" are not stupid or naive people. They knew exactly what they were doing when they gleefully signed these agreements and passionately sold them to us. They knew it would allow Delta to get by with less manning.

Our union has completely bought off on the concept that our long term best interests are best served by ensuring the highest profitability of Delta. That's why management and DALPA communiques are indistinguishable.

We didn't get played. We're simply working together with our management partners.

Carl

Is that 50-60 block average including reserves? I know a lot of International reserve guys don't fly much.

The rumored IOE trip hold back is win-win... for the company. They won't need as many pilots in every category to cover the flying they hold back, and they won't have to pay anyone to stay home or pay them twice, if they pick up another trip. So it effects manning -and- pay.

And ALPA says it only affects a small number of pilots, which is true if you take a snapshot. But the junior FO's will be senior FO's soon , and they will miss out on what we have now. So in reality, it affects a very large % of FO's if we take this concession.

As we had into this weeks MEC meeting, the tails is wagging the dog.

Delta is making billions in profits no one ever could have imagined. Our execs compensation is up well over 700% and we got a 3% hourly increase.

We need 18% plus to hit hourly rates that are 11 years old with no inflation.

This month management will announce yet another round of billion dollar buybacks.

So.....



We are discussing the long overdue historic gains. Right?

Wrong.

We are discussing how to save managment from a staffing crisis they brought on themselves. Their own Steve Dickson told they to hire earlier.

Now we are on our heels (as usual) playing defense. Why are we discussing first officers dispalced for training? sick leave? productivity concessions?

Let's be clear. Our hourly rates need to hit 20% plus 1/1/16 without touching profit sharing. Our internation scope and hotel language need to be the best ever written.

But this cannot overshadow our overwhelming deisre to improve our quality of life. We spend far too much time away from home. We saved the company from liquidation with our countless sacrifices.

Those days are gone. Our bankruptcy concessions are no longer necessary and many were not necessary at all.
Pay attention because if we do not change course, we will not only not improve our quality of life, we will move backward.

The fact that management is behind is not our fault. They are very bright, they will work their way through these challenges.

Make your voice heard. Call and email your reps. OFTEN. They need your support. Ask your reps who is in the MEC office? Are the same insiders that brought us C2012 working there?

Pay attention.

This needs to be the bagtag on every backpack.

Just curious what do AA, UA, and SW do for OE? This contract should not have concessions and recovery obligations is a concession and blocked LCA trips is a much much larger concession!

The staffing formula requires that when reserves average more than 60 credit hours per month that the required reserves increases. They are separate.

I'm with you on the recovery/IOE issue. It's a nonstarter, it was JUST restored a few years ago. No one can even show evidence it's being discussed at the table. This is hoopla about nothing. Whoever mentioned it'd be as big a deal as CDO's isn't 100% right but it would be close to that big!