Why did I get a bad feeling reading the DALPA Chairman letter today? Is it just me or does this cleverly worded letter have scope sale (ie more large RJ's) written all over it?

"Important components of maintaining that momentum going forward will include, among other things, the refinement of Delta’s long-term business plan and the rationalization of Delta’s fleet. Therein lies the opportunity. In any negotiation, both parties typically have wants and needs. The Delta pilots have clearly expressed through the contract survey, and through contact with their local reps, the issues that we need to have addressed during these Section 6 negotiations. Likewise, management also has issues they’d like to address. Your MEC believes that by addressing each other’s issues and seeking mutually beneficial solutions in a rational manner, we will not only return immediate and ongoing value to the Delta pilot group, but also forge a path to significantly increase mainline flying through an increase in pilot block hours—and importantly, the ratio of pilot mainline to non-mainline block hours. We believe this approach is consistent with Delta’s long-term fleet plan and is in the best interests of the Delta pilots and Delta Air Lines.

Pilot mainline block hours, perhaps more than any other metric, are a direct measure of Delta pilot jobs. While neither the MEC nor I are at liberty to discuss the many detailed moving parts of the current negotiations at this point, I will say this: The time to capitalize on opportunity is now, but that opportunity is also fleeting."

 

You are right. ALPA IS powerless. The RLA is against us... The government is against us (as labor, regardless of the claims that the current clown to the contrary. He won't let us go on strike anymore than Ted Kennedy could have driven by happy hour. So what is your solution? I am not asking that to be concessionary, but I really want to know what it is that you think the inept negotiators should do.. and if unable, what it would be that "better" ones would be able to accomplish. Please.. enlighten me.

I haven't read the letter yet, so I have no idea what is in it.. but let me know where you think we should be headed. And remember, obstinance will lead to a few more years under this BK contract...

 

Hi Elvis,
I am in the ATL Doubletree, training right now, also in the MD-88 program. Six days left of training scheduled. A lot of the instructors are talking like there is a cockpit panel retro-fit that the company has allotted research money for, and that they're going to try to get a decision on which panel around the 3rd Q. From what I can gather, they want more commonality among the the entire fleet. The 717 rumor is pretty rampant around here, but it appears only a rumor, as best I can tell. The 717 rumor just won't seem to die, but it appears only a rumor at this time. If it does have any basis in fact, I think we'll be hearing something from the company before too long. Just my opinion

 

Perhaps you are right. But you're not. You are however a poster child for confirmational bias.

They are not idle threats. It is reality.

 

A couple points:

1. I find it hard to believe that the negotiating committee, which is primarily made up of junior people, would give away any more large RJs.

2. If they are trading something for capping 50 seat flying, that is stupid- the amount of 50 seaters are echos of scope screw-up's past and are marginalizing themselves on their own due to being so over bought by mgmt. A lesson should be learned in that mgmt has to be protected from itself- we are the long term players at this carrier, not them.

 

In your opinion it is reality. You seem to think that if YOUR version if what is acceptable isn't put before the pilot group that it will be a referendum on DALPA. Maybe.. it will, but probably it will not, IF in the opinion of the majority of the group it is an acceptable TA. YOU.. and Carl.. and the rest of the donuts will be unhappy, but that is to be expected. Everybody doesn't have to be orgasmic about the TA, they just have to be satisfied enough to vote yes. I am guessing that you are new to this because of the way that you have single issue no votes. Got news for ya pal... You will probably be disappointed, because as I have said before.. EVERYTHING.. and I mean EVERYTHING, is negotiable.

Rant on soldier, I am at peace with the process, and threats and donut BS doesn't scare me, other than the fact that it might mean 4 or 5 more years of a BK contract at a minimum..

 

Chuck-thanks. It is simply a rumor, I understand, for now. The commonality piece makes sense.

 

Release of Scope is a NO for me...add me to the list of non-budgers! And if Hawaiian or AK is in the mix for a merger there better not be ONE guy hired after me senior or another NO vote (not that I'll have a choice - just sayin')

Baja.

 

OK it looks like others are seeing the same thing. This contract proposal will likely be decided Sr vs Jr once again. The sales job is ramping up as well. Notice the increase of posts by Sailing and his "agreeing parties" the past few days?

To those who pointed out in the carefully worded opener a month and a half ago, it smells like more large RJ's, it appears you were correct. To any of those on here wanting to some day make this a profession of progression and a career worth having get ready to fight like a mother.

Don't buy into the sales job you are about to receive (ie take the money now...well get em later on the scope" or "the ratio of block hours looks good"). Doing that already once has devastated this profession. Lets not make the same mistake again. By way of example, if we let Alaska, KLM, GOL, etc start flying A380's on all our routes, reducing their current airplane totals by 1% then adding 1% more airplanes (let's say 717's) we would also be "Increasing ratios and block hours for Delta pilots". Two years down the road we would realize we made a HUGE mistake. Just like the outsourcing of RJ's where they now do half of all domestic flying for Delta. Let's not become the definition of insanity.

 

Right on. I was pretty upbeat the first time I read it. Then I went swimming and thought about under/over/side boob and cleared my head. Upon reading it a second time, the letter came off as "We have one red Ford left of the lot. If you don't buy this red Ford right now, who knows when you'll get another."
In the end, it's really hard to comment much without more information. If the ratio of block hours involves us flying all hours in aircraft of 70 seats and higher and DCI flying their block hours in Super Cubs, then I'm all for it.