You just had to talk to someone on the negotiating committee once he retired. Our opener was however public anyway so I first read it in the newspaper. The company released the openers.

Like you, we were disappointed to see Delta management decide to cancel
the B-777. Let me explain the negotiations from our point of view. It
may provide a more balanced picture than the one our management has
presented.

>From the outset of negotiations, we noted that this was going to be
different than negotiations in the past. Immediately after our opening
positions were exchanged, Delta management released the information to
the media. Management has frustrated our attempts to negotiate by
negotiating with everyone but our negotiators. They've negotiated with
the media, with the public, and directly with our pilots. They have
pushed their message on everyone who will listen but they have
stonewalled our negotiators. To their credit, our entire 9,000 pilot
membership has pointedly responded to the direct overtures from
management by saying "talk to our negotiators."

As far as our opening position is concerned it was strictly that, an
opener. Negotiations when conducted in good faith result in two parties
compromising somewhere in the middle. We have learned through painful
experience to put a lot of cushion in an opening position. We never
expected to get anywhere near that opening figure. As negotiations
unfolded, at the appropriate time, we began to come down from our rather
lofty opener. We anticipated that management would respond with counter
offers. Unfortunately, Delta management has essentially never varied
from their opening pay rate proposal.

Airline managers have pursued a program over the last 15 years of
driving down employee costs. The need for this was more plausible
during the consolidation phase of deregulation. In those years, largely
due to overcapacity, airlines lost considerable money. Now we have four
or five major carriers with fortress hubs and they've learned to control
capacity carefully. I'm not telling you something new, you're quite
experienced with the loads on airplanes these days. As a result of
this, airlines are making record profits. Management is still pursuing
a tight employee cost model after it has ceased to be necessary. Their
story now is that they need to prepare for the next down-turn.

To put it into perspective, consider a smaller, less productive airplane
in our fleet, the L-1011. If we project its wages from the early 1980's

 

You tell me, Timbo. You're the one who said we can't replicate that strategy.

 

Where did I say we can't replicate anything? The quote please.

What I said was, why can't our MEC utter the word:

RESTORATION?

 

You have no clue what I want, brother. All I did was list four possible outcomes of you being on the Negotiating Committee or the MEC. You agreed with two of them, asked me for clarifications about the other two, and then reached a conclusion about my wants that, for the life of me, has me scratching my head wondering if you even bother trying to put aside your personal prejudices and assumptions when you read other pilots' words.

And how much more than talk have you ever done?

 

Here ya go...

 

Well that was very alfaromeo of you. It's very important for us to talk to our reps, MEC admins, legislators, etc. We can't all be elected. Your demeaning of talking is unfortunate.

Carl

 

Did you completely miss my point?

I said we can't do it, IF THE MEC WON'T EVEN TRY!

BUT, on the other hand, if they DID try, rather than complete capitulation at every opportunity, then maybe we COULD do it!

And you still haven't answered my question; Why can't our MEC even mention the word, Restoration?

 

How did complete capitulation at every opportunity get us the best contract in the industry?

 

Because the others remained in bankruptcy longer and went backwards. Crowing about your progress in a race while the others are in quicksand is not a validation of your racing skill.

Carl

 

Best contract in the Industry? Do you really believe that?

How did our 747/777 pay rates get BELOW South West's 737 pay rates?

If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.