Right on que! Where is Alpha?

People who called me, closing with the warning "Slow will come after you if you post what we told you" ... you were correct.

It is worth trying to stop scope sales, even if it makes me the butt of a joke or eventually gets me punched in the nose. We lost the Compass battle, but it was the right fight to make. Now if we allow the outsourcing of the E190 (or similar jets) it adds even more importance to the historical context of the Compass representational vote.

BTW - like you, my friends fly for Delta air lines and already have seniority numbers. I support unity because unity benefits Delta pilots. I also support D-ALPA and our MEC. When it appears an error is about to be made it is an affirmative duty of a member to speak up. If those issuing the warning are wrong, so be it. This is a threat briefing. Hopefully we will not hit windshear, but if we do lets talk about a plan ... .

 

** Off topic (looking for help) **

Fellas,

My back is killing me. I don't know if it's from 1.) crappy seats on the DC-9; 2.) dragging my rollerboard through the airport for the last 16 years; 3.) old age; or 4.) all of the above.

Either way, with the DC-9's going away, I wonder what the seats are like on the other airplanes. How do they stand up?

I think I'm at the point where I have to bid an airplane, not for pay, or trips, but for my back.

Anyone else having these types of "old age" problems? Any suggestions?

 

Call ti my opinion if you wish, but most people tell the pilots they can have one or the other.

I do agree though more pay and tighter scope are both essential. In fact, they go hand in hand.

I know DAL's fleet plan, and the reality is that the 90 purchase is a Band Aid. DAL should have been refleeting all along. CH11 aside, we should be constantly be buying new and old metal. Two 777's and Two 73N's last year does not cut it. Look at UCAL, we are quickly squandering our advantage we gave the company with our quick and concise merger. We need to buy jets that compete on the world market. 32 777/744's are not enough to compete with the UCAL airline.

Wrt to narrowbody replacement. Even buying more 320's or 73N's four years ago would have made a ton of sense. Last ones in last ones out in the fleet renewal plan. We are now running in to a of jets that need to be replaced over the next 15 years.

 

Been on the dc-9, (737 other life) and i am on the 7er now. BUT the best seat and most comfort i ever had was on the airbus, its a back problem pilots dream.

 

Quick question for you regulation/contract specialists: Does the 30 in 7 rule refer to calendar days or 24 hour periods?

 

Time to carry a lumbar support and place it at your lower back...it's that or back surgery...

Cheers
George

 

By all accounts that is all very true, the only thing I think should be added is that "the company" included lots and lots of flight attendants and gate agents and GO workers and so forth that took up the mantra "Keep Delta My Delta."

I may not have been at Delta at that point, and therefore not worthy or allowed to speak, but what I saw being in Atlanta at the time was a lot of front line folks taking up that same self preservation cause and making it known the work force was hostile to the idea. See I knew that, from the outside.

 

Here is the policy manual: (Which I know you know)

21. Negotiating Committee
a. A Negotiating Committee, consisting of a minimum of three members,
including the chairman, will be elected by the MEC in accordance with
Section 5 of this Policy Manual.
b. MEC committee chairmen will act in an advisory capacity to the
committee, as requested by the MEC chairman or the Negotiating
Committee chairman, to assist in their respective areas of jurisdiction and
responsibility.
c. A member of the Negotiating Committee is strongly discouraged from
holding another elected ALPA office.
d. The Negotiating Committee will normally serve for a period:
1) Commencing six months before the Opening Letter may be
presented by either party to commence Section 6 negotiations
under the Railway Labor Act, in which case the committee will
serve for a period not to exceed six months after the signing of the
new Section 6 Agreement (or its equivalent), or
2) Commencing no later than six months after the signing of an
Agreement in Section 6 negotiations (or its equivalent), and for a
term not to exceed two years.
e. Within the constraints of d.1) and 2) above and in order to provide for an
orderly transition, the MEC chairman may choose to schedule the election
of a new committee within the 90-day period (or at the regularly scheduled
MEC meeting immediately prior to the 90-day period) prior to the
expiration of the term of the incumbent committee. The newly elected
committee will take office at the expiration of the incumbent committee’s
term.


You can also admit that the Reps called this meeting to discuss this and talk a recorded vote. Many of the reps feel no need for this election.

If they do choose as a group to have this, will you run?

 

I'd say Pinnacle could fly the E190s, as long as DL mainline pilots on our seniority list fly them, exclusively. They can have Pinnacle flight attendants, mechanics, whatever, but mainline pilots on our list with mainline pay and benefits. Other than that, a big NO.

 

I'm beginning to worry a lot about the way we are being managed. Perhaps its for a dark cloud picture for negotiations, or who knows...

But, the proactive and aggressive management team that I saw with the merger and the international expansion is now doing the exact opposite... just sitting there with their fingers up their noses and pulling out of cities. We just pulled down ATL-TLV for the winter recently.... really??? You cannot and will never shrink intro profitability. This combined with the continued massive level of outsourcing (and the only new jets going to outsourced companies) and I think it may be time for some management renewal as well.