Bar, like you I still think that ALPA is the best solution going forward however being at the meeting I have lost confidence that we will get a contract anywhere near where I would like.

I also take issue with this being a democratic organization. Other than voting for your LEC reps and MEMRAT DALPA functions much more like a representative republic and I think that is the way it should function if I am honest. (We don't need THIS.) This is why I ask very specific question of LEC candidates when they run for office. I want to know their feelings on issues because while they may take input from the membership I believe that ultimately they will make decisions that they feel are best for Delta pilots based on their own underlying feelings and beliefs.

In practice this is what I have observed. Look at the action on Compass and the implementation or lack of it of the NW LOAs regarding outsourced flying or even the increase in permitted aircraft that was signed before the pilots even knew there was an issue. There was no effort to get the will of the pilots on these issues and I disagree with the way all of them went down but all I can really do is cast my vote for people who I feel share like goals of mine however those pilots aren't always elected.

WRT the meeting yesterday I really get the feeling that if we (the pilot group) want the moon in this contact that DALPA will decide if that is in our best interest or not. I may be surprised but after yesterday I am not feeling charged up about the upcoming contract.

I will echo what many said yesterday, we need leadership. DALPA is severely lacking in leadership right now IMO. TO stated that he is no more important that anyone else in the room WRT his opinions on the contract. That may sound nice but is wrong. If our chairman is not of the mindset of making big improvements to Scope, Work Rules, Pay, etc. than how is he going to motivate the pilots he represents or clearly direct the negotiating committee.

It may still be early to "get the troops riled up" but we need a strong leader like a FDR or Churchill to start uniting us. Anyway the message I got from the meeting was the industry has changed and will not be the same going forward and if what you pilots want is too much we can try that but we will never get anywhere doing that but if we shoot lower we can probably get a quick contract.

If the pilots didn't have MEMRAT for the contract I have a feeling that we would be presented with would be laughable. I hope I'm wrong.

-vpr

TO stated yesterday that they "gorss" much more than us so that shouldn't be a problem.

Duty rig is 1 for 2, ie if you are on duty for 12 hours you get 6 hours of credit minimum. At least that's what it used to be. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm out to lunch.

1:2 duty rig is correct. The duty rig actually improves to 1.75:1 based on real early or late hours, but 1:2 is the norm. If you are making more with duty rig than block time you have a heinous duty day with a lot of sitaround. That said, duty rig is one of the most important protections we have, as well as trip rig. Pilots tend to complain about what they don't have, and take for granted what they do have. Having these rigs is pretty important. However, all the 30-hour layovers tend to undercut them. If we had a strong calendar-day average, instead of duty period average, it might make our trips a whole lot better. That said, we have a very complex fleets where the planes are being shuffled all over the place throughout the year, which as an earlier post stated makes efficient pilot scheduling a trick. But that is the price you pay for having lots of different airplanes. It's management's solvable problem.

My understanding is that CAL pilots have no duty or trip rigs. Ugh.

Were they hot?;)

From the small sample size I've seen, they are making some good draft picks

Total pilot costs and productivity compared to us is the point of these comparisons. If French law mandated 364 days a year of vacation, the increased pilot costs would still make for a cost to cost comparison.

Great post VPR.

IF you feel your elected leadership(Reps) or the admin is not going to get you the contract you want, there is still time to force the issue with your reps. If you feel they will not change their course, recall em, then if you are successful with that, your newly elected reps can go for changes at the head table and committee ranks.

If everyone sits on their hands, there really can be no complaining about the results.

Personal Responsiblity
 

What can you do to insure that we have success in the next contract?

First, you can beat the drum about completing the survey. Ask everyone you encounter if they know about it and have they completed it?

Second, become an expert on how Section 6 negotiations work. If this is your first rodeo, you have some reading to do. Section 6 negotiations can be extremely frustrating if you have never been through it before. It's important to understand what DALPA can do and not do. It's even more important for you to understand what you can and cannot do. Everything is about the status quo. Learn what that means and how it can affect you. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself.

Third, take personal responsibility with your financial perparedness. Now is the time to pay down your debt. Do not plan on buying a new car or a bigger house any time soon. Do not plan on assuming any new financial obligations. Pay down debt. Get liquid. Start saving some money. That way you can go into this effort from a position of power and not weakness. Once Section 6 starts, DALPA will be restricted in what they can say about this. That is why you must assume responsibility for your financial health.

Last, make sure your significant other has been educated in all the possibilities. The last thing you need is pressure from the home front. An educated, supportive spouse will be a huge asset. You are going to need a partner.

Now, if anyone has any other ideas, this is the time to start talking about them, here, at home and at work. It's not time to inflate the rat, but it is time to start your personal preparations.

Yup.

We could get a 5/5/5/5/5 contract with some minor work rule improvements and little to no scope improvements and it could (and would?) be "sold" to us as a "28% raise over the life of..." when in fact it would be a zero percent raise (or a pay cut on top of our already bankruptcy emergency survival contract if inflation picks up).

This time we have some checks and balances though, ironically from the Ford/Cooksley lawsuit. Meet and confer MUST happen if we want to tighten our DCI scope. I really doubt that can be complied with and kept completely secret from the membership (which that alone would be scandalous enough).

Look for the meet and confers, or lack of them, and especially what was said. If they are anything less than completely open about those meetings, their intent on the continued gutting of our profession through massive outsourcing will be revealed.