Thanks Blue Moon

 

Carried over from another thread because it seems more relevant here ....

The Company is rumored to have approached ALPA for a significant scope concession to allow many more 76 seat jets. My posts have been aimed at educating mainline pilots why they might want to look past the 717 and understand the numbers which make airplanes like the CRj905 more desired by management and more operationally flexible. Thus, if we had to play this game defensively; we would rather have the 905's than the 717's; they make more money.

As things stand at the end of 2011, beginning of 2012, mainline has 718 airplanes. At 767 mainline jets the three to one language is triggered. 153 76 seat jets are currently authorized and management has bought every single one they were allowed to buy ... now they want more. It would take a mainline fleet growing by 49 jets to make that happen.

However, then management runs into the 255 total limit on 70/76 seat jets. As you can guess, they've maxed that limit out also.

My guess is that Management wants concessions on one of those two limits with the promise that "if we ever pull down the mainline fleet, we will pull down DCI in a proportionate fashion." We've seen that before and it failed to protect jobs in Contract 2000 because the minute things got tough the Company said "we really need these bigger RJ's to make money and stay in business" so we removed those scope protections and furloughed mainline pilots. Some, ironically, found employment on the same jets ALPA outsourced, at one fifth the pay that they were making at Delta.

Strategically, it would be smarter for Delta pilots to want the real action, the 905's, where Delta's 10K reports say the profits are. That's the more secure position and instead of looking for cheap and used, Delta management is obtaining the best and new for their "regional" operations, again.

The task of our Negotiating Committee is to get Delta pilots in those seats, performing Delta flying. Delta can buy more RJ's if it wants WITHOUT SCOPE CHANGES and fly them with mainline pilots. We should all support and encourage our Reps, Admin and Negotiators to hold the high ground against outsourcing our jobs.

 

I called my rep to discuss the openers, and one topic was the sort of unspeakeable concessions the company might be angling for. I asked in several different ways, and I don't remember him saying anything like the rumor above. The scope part of the conversation was focused on closing current loopholes, and restricting scope language, not loosening it.

It definitely wouldn't surprise me if the company wanting to have unlimited 76-seaters, so maybe I misunderstood something. Anyone else discuss this with their reps?

 

Grosse Point is a nice area, but keep in mind that the 30 minutes it takes to get to the parking lot or home could easily turn into hour + drive during rush hour on 94.

 

Does anyone know how you are paid for the distance learning CD's for an initial training event?

 

Not very far fetched at all. Another merger and we will easily hit that scope trigger. If not that, I see management getting used aircraft to cross that trigger, fly said aircraft till they are used up and then never replace them. No need, they crossed the scope trigger they needed and now the extra DCI aircraft can pick up the load.

 

Bar - That is an easy one - our answer to the company:

NO!

Either we learn from our past mistakes or we repeat them - to the detriment of all DAL Pilots.

Scoop

 

In Grosse Pointe, and I love it. 8 out of 10 times it's about 35 minutes to the employee parking lot. Those other two times, whew! Be patient.

If you're single, this might not be the place though. Lot's of families.

 

Bar, I know scope is near and dear to your heart. I also know you try to give ALPA the benefit of the doubt always working hard to give "fair and balanced" accounts of how they really are the best for our pilot group. What I don't understand is how you could trust ALPA with scope given their penchant for selling it in recent years? You know, the old fox in the hen house thing....they just cant seem to help themselves. Its like an addiction.

Think about it....we keep hearing about "opportunity to open the contract early and make gains based upon xyz information" (the exact same message now being parroted by managment which is more than a coincidence) . The sterilized opening document presented to us had a cryptic message about scope that was pretty much meaningless. It could have said something worthwhile if the intent was to RECAPTURE scope but it did not. The things you pointed out in your last post, if true, don't bode will for the bottom half of this pilot group. Sorry, it appears we may be going down the same path traveled repeatedly the past ten years.... letting our representation upsell us on the amazing benefits of cutting our own throats for this limited time offer only!

 

I live over in Canton and love it....20 minutes on a bad day to the employee lot. Everything is newer, building lots of new homes, lots of places to eat, parks, gyms, good schools as long as you buy in the Plymouth-Canton school district etc. Plus Plymouth and AA downtowns are really close too. The only thing lacking in my opinion in Canton is a downtown area.