Wow. I'm so glad we're paying this guy to insult us.

 

To the esteemed members and contributors of APC, this is the best definition of egotistically arrogant behavior seen anywhere, not just here at APC.

Thank god we don't have someone as disdainful and conceited representing our interests at the MEC level. A true pofessional you are alfa.

 

[QUOTE=alfaromeo;1187342]No, this is condescending: Put your damn man pants on and quit whining like a girl.

What do you have against girls?

It is not understandable for a senior guy not to know his contract because that is just lazy. So once again, put your man pants on and quit whining like a little girl.

By senior, do you mean senior in category or high seniority number? I fly with a lot of high seniority number pilots, many do not understand the contract. You learn the contract by it "screwing" you, not by reading it and having an aha moment. BTW, please lighten up on the girls.

The reserve system we have now is light years better than the one I worked under when I was junior on reserve. We were on short call every day, we had no such thing as long call, and we had fewer days off. IF we reach an agreement, this reserve system will be the best reserve system we have ever had in my career at Delta.

I walked uphill to school in waist deep snow both ways too.

IF we reach an agreement? Really? Do you think we are that shallow?

I am still not seeing how this reserve system will be the "best" we've ever had. It seems concessionary.

Even more days off, more pay, more opportunities to control your schedule.

More days off that are removed by calling a 31 day month a 30 day month? More pay is good, but how much of that bump in reserve guarantee is paid for by other reserve concessions?

There are some items that are concessions but that is why they call it negotiations. Each side has to get something out of the deal.

Please splain me why there are any concessions - besides saying its because we are in negotiations. The company gets known labor costs and "harmony" for access to capital. That ought to be enough.

do you want to have a real negotiation that actually occurs in the grown up world?

yes.

IF we reach a deal, then we will improve every section of our contract, especially Section 1.

Waiting for the deal that is probably being briefed to the MEC right now.

We will also shove hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in our pockets, IF we can reach a deal.

Gee, I guess it was too polyannish to hope for a billion.

you better be ready to have some give and take at the table.

If I try to taste some food on my wifes plate, she hits my hand with her fork.

If you offer a monkey hundreds and hundreds of bananas and then want a few back, what do you think the monkey will do? Even a monkey will make that trade.

Is this monkey in bankruptcy?

Alfa, you are sharing some good info with us and for that I appreciate your involvement. I have to believe that the NC is trying to do their best and appreciate that at least 2 of them had a contract administration background.

Certainly I do not expect you to see things from my POV completely... everyone's POV is different. I hope there is no open ended, best effort, promised goodies if... language.

Concessions are not warranted either. IMO.

 

Sailing,

I'm really not trying to be obtuse or trolling, etc.

As my financial advisor says "It's the after tax income that's important..."

So in my example of say an L-1011 Captain who made say $275,000 a year in 1999 and he contributed zero to his defined benefit retirement plan. He was taxed on the $275K and netted $275K less federal and state income taxes, social security, and let's not forget ALPA dues. To make the math simple lets say a combined 35%. So he took home $275K less 35% ($96,250) =$178,750. And he had a defined benefit retirement plan that (in theory anyway) paid him a retirement of 60% FAE.

(Ill use myself as an example.) I had my DB plan taken from me and as a deadzoner I am doing my best to fund my retirement to the tune of the maximum allowable individual contribution. For 2012 that is $17,500 plus the $5,000 (over 50) catch up = $22,500.

So for me as an A-320 Captain my hourly rate is $175.00. Let's say $175K for the year. take away the (forced) retirement contribution of $22.5K and your down to $152,500 and lets say a combined tax/benefit rate of 35% ($53,375) and my take home is $99,125.

That's just over half of what the L-1011 Captain netted in my example above. HMMM not too good, is it?

My point is he didn't have to fund his retirement and we now do.

 

They can be sources of good information. Alpha's review of the reserve rule concessions provided some balance to the story.

Nu's spot on, the fact that Slow and Alpha are here means something.

The DPA has been silent on the issue of providing a proactive defense in the event of a scope sale. That means something too, unfortunately.

 

The need for "concessions" to get a contract are nonsensical. Why not just keep what we've got?

Thus far, the inference is that "concessions" will result in a transfer from the junior pilots (scope & work rules) towards line holders who are safe from displacement.

It's been my theory that our prior scope concessions have undermined our bargaining leverage and the result would be that future contracts would continue along a lower trend line. From what has been revealed thus far, the theory is being proven by bargaining results. That's nothing against our current MEC and negotiators.

 

More large RJ's is not improving section 1.

Not addressing the JV's and the ill advised MOU that extended balancing to three years is not improving section 1.

Not curtailing the the Alaska code share is not improving section 1.

These are not concessions for the sake of negotiations and "stuffing hundreds and hundreds of millions in our pockets" that are exceptable.

The finished work of the TA will be telling. Let's see if DALPA can grasp this concept. Like many have said her before, one ping and one ping only.

 

So screaming "BS!" in bold print lots of times is going to sway anyone's opinion?

 

Concessions? How about instead of alfa's "hundreds and hundreds of millions stuffed in our pockets," we go with the billion a year in concessions given in BK plus SWA's section 1.

For that we will agree not only to wear hats.... ALWAYS, but amend the uniform policy and FOM grooming policy as well and adopt the Captain Catfish uniform model.

Fair trade, right

 

Yes....just like at a ball game when the ref makes a bad call