I like greeting the passengers and thanking them for flying with us, but something tells me I'll likely decide it's in everyone's better interests if I stay away from pax and do my job in the cockpit if what some of these LEC guys are pushing comes our way (do they wave a MIB pen across their eyes after they take office?). And unfortunately I'm stubborn and find it hard to let go of things like that, so it won't be temporary until it's made right.

 

In GRU, the Miss Universe pageant is at our hotel.

"I'd rather be lucky than good" - Lefty Gomez

 

 

Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.

--Abraham Lincoln

 

I appreciate you trying to help out your old buddy slowplay here, but this has nothing to do with the question that I've now asked three times. But typical of slowplay, he just goes in to the witness protection program when he gets asked questions he doesn't like.

Carl

 

Article from "The Street" about unions in the south:

'Union' Now 'the U-Word' in the South - TheStreet

 

Airline Biz Blog | Sep 01, 2011

An unusually high number of American airlines pilots retired early as of Sept. 1 -- 111 in all.

As the Allied Pilots Associations points out, 2010's average was 11 per month, with a high of 24 in August 2010. Some other factoids:

* 23 of the retiring pilots are check airmen -- the pilots who make sure other pilots are doing it right.
* 46 of the 111 were Boeing 777 captains, plus another three 777 first officers. About one in every four 777 captain based at D/FW Airport retired.

* The average age, by my calculations, was just under 61. The youngest was a Dallas-based pilot who turned 54 in August. Eight were 63. Less than 20 were under age 60. The bulk fell in the 60 to 62 bracket.

* The average seniority among the retirees, by my calculations, was 29 years. The list included three 777 captains -- one from D/FW, two from Chicago -- with 35 years' experience, and another that would have hit 35 years in October.

As American Airlines pilots know intimately, their B Plan has an interesting feature. A pilot can lock in the value of the B Plan shares backwards for 60 days. If the shares fall sharply, they can retire and still get the shares' value from 60 days before their retirement.

The B Plan shares this summer have dropped a lot, like the entire market, and quite a few pilots decided to take their retirements now rather than hope the B Plan shares recover in value in the near future.

As more than one pilot pointed out to me in the past few weeks, a long-time pilot with a lot of money in the B Plan could have seen the value of those shares drop $200,000 or $300,000 in the past two months. They would have to work a long time just to make up in salary the amount of the decrease in their B Plan accounts.

So why not go now?

That's the B Plan, a defined-contribution plan into which American Airlines contributes an amount equal to 11 percent of a pilot's pay.

Then there's the A Plan, the pilots' defined-benefit plan. There's been a lot of pilot communication back and forth about the possibility of American filing for bankruptcy protection at some point in the future, a step that would likely result in reduced pensions and an inability to withdraw a lump sum upon retirement.

Another reason for pilots to go now rather than wait to see what happens.

Of course, the stock market didn't have a good August, either. There could always be another large group of pilots who decide to retire Oct. 1 if the B Plan shares don't recover from the market's recent dip.

111 American Airlines pilots retire on Sept. 1 : The Airline Zone

It is my understanding that the lookback period may be 90 days rather than 60 per their contract. But, I don't know that for a fact. As an experienced deadzoner, all I can say is take the money and run.

 

This is what I think and it's not as good of a quote its just my experience having been a part of or watched family members and friends take tremendous risk and start businesses and most failing. As well having been employed for years by companies and individuals who tried and succeeded.

All I can say, if you want to start out on your own make it an all cash business and work alone.

If you want to lose money, hire someone.

If you want to make money, hire the right person.

 

fwiw, I think we're the right people. People forget a commercial air carrier by FAA rules only requires 1 employee. A pilot. An airline on the scale of our operation we're not the only ones required nor are we the brains behind the operation. Frankly we are a unionized group of over 10,000 pilots turning screws on an assembly line with over 12,000 in total.

But if any of one or two of us, and this goes for mechanics as well, turn that screw wrong...

You're front line employees matter. And beyond safety its important I think for some to remember that it is our noses that are to the grindstone so chances are we may know who that grindstone is doing?

The one thing Delta has always had a reputation for was that people mattered. I may be bias, but as a pilot and even pre employment here I always thought that was pilot driven. So whatever has happened in the past and whatever course some may have plotted to change that, so be it, we don't have to give in.

 

Good post ftb. I agree.
Many have noted the death of the "Delta family" and indeed, that cultural mindset has been systematically erased from the property starting with Ron Allen and "Leadership 7.5" right through Mullin, Grinstein and bankruptcy. But I'd like to think it can still be revived. I know it still lives in the hearts and minds of much of the workforce. The beatings from our past corporate overlords were relentless, but guys still push wheelchairs and fetch strollers.

Bringing that spirit back will require some visionary leadership and a commitment to treat people as assets rather than costs. I think labor (meaning primarily DALPA) has given management every opportunity since we emerged from bankruptcy to restore some of that old sense of loyalty and commitment to the company that used to exist. Constructive engagement has been a bold experimental olive branch. We'll find out next year whether it will bear fruit.

At first glance, some may read Lincoln's words as a thinly veiled call for socialism and an attack on capitalism.
I don't see it that way. I think he's talking about simple dignity and respect.
The Delta pilots have made an enormous contribution to the survival and now the new prosperity of this company. I hope management has the wisdom to acknowledge that as they craft their approach to Contract 2012. We have earned it and we deserve it.