I think I said that about 1,000 posts ago... Back when oil was $150/brl, but ah NO they said (whoever they are) we have no negotiating power.

I've just resolved to the fact without more balls like our Northern brothers have, we're screwed.

Yep, and maybe we should have a resolution in our MEC that any SCOPE related issues pass a membership majority vote... Call your reps!

I tell you Carl, it can be quite exhausting at times. More and more junior captains I fly with get it, but at the same time many have the opinion that the give away of scope is a almost a "cultural" issue with our union and pilot group at Delta. It's almost as if, "that's the way it's always been, so that's the way it will always be, there nothing we can do about it". Arghh!!! Guys just roll over. Maybe this from years of burnout from feeling that our union is turning a deaf ear to us.

I spoke with 4 different Compass pilots last week while riding on the van. Seem like a good group of guys and the guys I spoke with want to stay under our MEC and every one of them said they want to be on our list. "Stapled" was a term that two of them used. Now, some could say that Compass was a Scope concession, but it I believe it may also be mitigating some furloughs. At least you guys kept management from making it a 100 seat company, as I have been told was their original proposal (please correct me if I'm wrong). So at least you guys showed some backbone on this. Here's my question:

If we are going to give the company say 300-500 early outs, why not ask them to bring the Compass pilots and the EMB-175 on our property in exchange for the early outs? What would be the downside to us? The upside for the company would be getting control over the quality of their product, which they have not had for years and the early retirements and cost savings associated with this. The company foregoes expensive training by having the early outs, we get this aircraft on the property and the company has pilots that are already type rated on the EMB 170-195 family. I know there would be many details to hammer out, but why could this not be a practical solution that we tell the MEC to research?

I've found that you can take 100 people and put them in a room, 98 will tell you why you can't do something and 2 will find a way to make it happen. I'm looking for those two people to help find a win-win for us and the company.

Any thoughts? Fire away!!!!!!

I have a thought, and it's not firing away. First and foremost, I absolutely agree that scope is section 1 in number and importance. Bringing Compass onto the list, however, brings with it regional pay and benefits, which would need to be addressed in order to bring them to par with current Delta rates and work rules. Naturally, the negotiating pie is only so big, and therefore, other things will have to be foregone in order to accomplish said task.

I would imagine there are many Delta pilots that are VERY tired of BK rates and rules and are looking for some payback who want every ounce of capital poured into Delta rather than Compass. Just playing devil's advocate.

This is our problem. That same group is probably willing to give up more scope to get payrates back to where they got them by giving up scope in the first place. Don't they learn from their mistakes? Scope should not be bargaining capital period.

Thanks for the response. We already have pay-rates for the CRJ900 and the EMB-190/195 in our current contract. I don't think we have the pay-rates for the EMB-175, but this could be a fairly simple plug and play formula. Why do we have to make another concession for these aircraft in addition to the early retirements? Remember, it's the company that came to us about the retirements.

This is the line of thinking that I run into with many pilots though. It won't be long and the only pay-rates that will matter on this property are the 777, 767-400, 787 and A330.

The way we're headed, instead of Regionals and Majors, it will be Transcontinentals (TJ's, former RJ's) and Internationals. (us)

All great points guys, but don't forget the most important point: Scope CANNOT be taken from us, it can only be GIVEN away. Our MEC has GIVEN it away. Only a new MEC can correct this.

Carl

Carl,

Not to be too contrary but from what I hear from friends at fNW, the gulf between senior and junior pilots was much wider than anything we've experienced at fDL. They feel they were thrown under the bus in an all out effort to save the senior guy's DB retirement. Did I get the bad intel? What was the feeling about the fNW MEC across the seniority ranges? Did Compass help the junior guys or did it just open the door to give away their flying to a much greater extent? Why so many furloughs and repeat furloughs (same people furloughed twice) at fNW?

I have to say as a mid-seniority fDL guy, this MEC has done a good job looking out for everyone's interest to the extent possible in a horrible environment. We need to hold their feet to the fire on scope but I'm not ready to throw away the guys who battled through BK and 911.

No disrespect, but we are not in the military anymore. The union is and should be a democratic organization, the chairman is not your superior, he's a pilot just like the rest of us...he was elected by you, the rank and file, through your reps.

At this point I believe a recall would be premature, what is sad is that no one shows up for the LEC meetings or MEC meetings...

Hold your reps acountable, ...call and talk with them