Interesting update from Council 1 just in...especially the first paragraph regarding the NC, which lines up a bit with one or two of the rumors floating around here:

The Council 1 update has me now concerned... They seem to imply that the negotiating committee is going rogue.

Well said. That was my philosophical argument with C2012, pilots financing the purchase of a fleet type with a scope sale was a bad precedent to set. The 195 is a fine airplane and I'd be happy to fly it, but not at the price of outsourcing a single additional DC-9 replacement.

Dalad, will you post the content?

Hope Lagrange is treating you well.

Yep. My previous communication with my rep, which took place shortly before the special MEC meeting, indicated that he had heard the rumors of TAd or informally-agreed-to concessions, but had no official confirmation. To be putting his name on this update now indicates some revelations came out at the meeting & the reps pushed back.

MEC Special Meeting & Negotiations Update

The Delta MEC held a special meeting May 19-20 at the Westin Hotel in Atlanta. The special meeting was to ensure that the direction we have given the Negotiating Committee is clear. For whatever reason, the committee seems to resist any significant amount of redirection away from the paths that they deem appropriate, and we continue to struggle to keep the MEC’s direction in line with your goals and expectations—a major part of the process. To date, the majority of the MEC has worked extremely hard to ensure we arrive at an acceptable agreement and not a rushed mediocre deal.



While the meeting was productive, we are beginning to see a conflict between the process (mentioned above), the record pace of negotiations, and parochial (third rail) issues the line pilots advised us to avoid. As we stated in last update, “Certainly we are ready, willing, and able to work with management to address areas of mutual concern; however, we don’t need to rush, and they should not over-reach.” At this juncture we are seeing more over-reaching from the company and less addressing of our pilots’ issues.



To date, the MEC has not been briefed on pay rates and many of the variables of the PWA that may affect our pay, i.e., PS, vacation, etc.



We remain hopeful that this agreement will be a “wow” moment for all pilots at Delta Air Lines. Through the feedback we have received from polling, surveys, phone calls, e-mails, lounge visits, council meetings, and personal interactions, it is very clear what the pilots of C1 are expecting from these negotiations. These expectations have only been enhanced by the company’s announced large stock buyback program as part of its capital deployment strategy, a plan that was made possible, in part, by the pilots’ past sacrifices. Early openers and an early contract are great, but the final product and our ability to meet your expectations continue to be paramount.



This is the best negotiating environment in a generation, and we should expect commensurate improvement in work rules and pay. We should not squander this opportunity and accept just any deal simply because the company wants a fast deal. If the proper deal is not attainable, the MEC should collectively be ready and willing to “Go Around/TOGA” if the deal does not reflect the pilot’s directives.



Rest assured that we will continue to fight on your behalf as we follow your direction. Please continue to send us your feedback; your input is paramount to our strategy moving forward.



We have scheduled our next Council 1 meeting to provide you an update in person as to where we are. Please make every effort to attend.

The council 1 update is exactly what my reps have been telling me over a month. The negotiating committee is not being responsive to their questions and speed appears to be trumping results.

I'm curious who the negotiating committee is listening/responding to. It appears some folks on the MEC are being left out of the process. It's not just the Council 1 folks either.

The ATL pilots need to turn the heat up on their reps. SLC and CVG appear to be hopeless. I have received Emails from both my NYC reps and they aren't wavering.I don't know about SEA, LAX, and MSP.

Is it possible they are just outclassed by these professionals and getting steamrolled? Is it possible they are showing the company they can be reasonable and help bail them out of their problems?

I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm concerned as well. This update is straight from some of our reps, not a rumor.

How do we remove Harwood from his position?