Originally Posted by crewdawg (Post 2557112)

Go to the DALPA website and search "AE." You'll have to click through a few pages but I was quickly able to find all he AEs through last Feb.

Originally Posted by msprj2 (Post 2557166)

One of the 4500+ Delta regional pilots here. Thanks for not allowing
more RJ's and staying strong on scope.

Originally Posted by Hank Kingsley (Post 2556544)

Hopefully you'll never know, but I suspect there will be a downturn at some point in time. Management will not have magically grown a pair of ethics either.

Originally Posted by Mesabah (Post 2557382)

The issue really isn't conniving executives, that's to be expected behavior from them, but the attorneys that represent us, do not provide nearly enough information to make an informed decision. The negotiations always wind up as a sales job in the end, fear is a big seller.

That's why we now turn to the internet.

Originally Posted by Hank Kingsley (Post 2557401)

Like FB? Everything you read on the internet is true. BTW, are you a Delta pilot?

Originally Posted by Mesabah (Post 2557422)

Nope, but I have been through several bankruptcies including the one at Northwest. I was mainline mgt at the time of the original givebacks.

Originally Posted by Hank Kingsley (Post 2557446)

At Northwest, so you're a former NW pilot. No longer flying? Because most of deadzoners from the South side weren't living in fear. And I doubt the internet, which Al Gore invented many years ago, could have provided much insight into our management's play book.

They may not have even known if Delta was going to make it. The union insiders, W & D, were on the forum stating the pension was well funded. Most of us watched TWA, PanAm, Eastern, etc. fold, never thought we could be in their shoes. So our concessions seemed logical in light of the situation. If I could have googled, "will Delta go out of business", I doubt that would have helped, the magic 8 ball had more answers.

Since, you were not a Delta guy during BK, I would gladly buy you a glass of **** regarding our decisions. Cheers.

Originally Posted by zippinbye (Post 2557482)

Not sure why it's significant that the quotee was "not a Delta guy during BK." Curious what your impressions are regarding the BK experience at DL versus NW. Not sure it matters which side of the fence you were on. I think we all should have been living in fear when we saw both companies march into bankruptcy court on the same day.

Originally Posted by Gooner (Post 2556351)

I completely understand your displeasure with the situation of regional size and career hoops they create, I spent a number of years in this situation and jumped through said hoops. I also feel you don’t fully respect or understand how contract negotiations work and particularly bankruptcy works. I say this admitting that at some point there was definitely an ego choice that cracked the door open for regional jets.

First off though pilots in general overestimate the power of our contract in regards to how an airline is run. All we can and could ever do since being part of the railway labor act, is to make a company practice that is undesirable to us expensive. Example would be language on sit length, we say if you have us sit for more than 4 hours you must pay us 2 hours of pay. So the company has to AGREE knowing that they can schedule how they want without a 4 hour sit, or if the math is worth it have us sit anyways. The same goes for scope unfortunately we can say no to any other flying done by someone else but if they don’t AGREE then no contract gets done.

This is wher bankruptcies come into play, if they deem they need to add regional flying as per a new business model idea. Then during a bankruptcy they can try to prove that they need a change in scope language to implement a new business model that will save the company, the “point” of bankruptcy.

This all leaves pilots with the option of continuing to fly for the company they have seniority and created a life with an option of accepting the contract or quitting. Quitting is the only actual action available to a pilot who doesn’t accept what is happening, as we no longer can strike. Hard to take responsibility for something when your options are so extreme.
Hopefully, the result has been now a generation of pilots later that maybe scope is THE contract item of importance. But if the company really wants it they will create a situation that you have to pick your dream job, its ability to take care of your family or scope changes. A hard choice, even in the good times we now are reaping.