Airline Pilot Central Forums - Strategy to Defeat TA2015

We're now at two days past the MEC vote, 4 days into the sales job, and only 28 days from the close of voting. The overwhelming consensus among the posters here, including many of those who voted for C2012, is that this TA is hugely disappointing considering today's lucrative negotiating environment, that we're not much worse off in traditional Section 6 and would reap a bigger eventual payoff, and the T/A should be resoundingly turned down by the Delta pilot group. There are a few ALPA insiders and P2P guys here defending the TA, but they're in a distinctly small minority. Everyone else is continually uncovering new reasons to vote no as we delve into the language itself.

That's all good and well, but those who post and even read APC form a tiny minority of the Delta pilot group. If the message never goes further than here, the TA will likely pass, because the MEC administration already has a plan in place along with a communications machine, road shows, negotiator's notepads, etc. Unless we come up with an equally effective communications plan, the average Delta pilot will only hear the MEC admin's side of the story. The last two days on the line have been deafeningly quiet. I've discussed the TA with my CA, but I haven't heard a peep about it in the crew bus, in the MSP, DTW or ATL crew rooms, or from crews I've exchanged aircraft with. That needs to change, and quickly, or it will be too late. I'm thoroughly convinced that with some coordinated effort on our part, this thing can be defeated. In fact, I'm making it my goal to not merely defeat the TA, but defeat it in a resounding "historic" fashion: by 60%+. It would send a clear and unmistakeable message to both DALPA and management.

Now even though APC guys are a minority, my sense is that they're also much better connected than the average line pilot. We need to take advantage of that. APC can be the base, or one of the bases, through which we coordinate our response. There is a wide range of talents evident on this board. Some of us are good at writing, others at public speaking, some at number crunching, others at legal analysis, and some at graphic design. We need to pool our talents in an organized manner. I don't know, perhaps some of you already are. If so, PM me and let me know how I can help. We can't be a loose assortment of tiny groups operating in a vacuum without helping and advising each other. I'll be PMing some of you in the next day or two for help with a project I have going.

In the meantime, here is my suggested overall strategy for defeating the TA. This is copied directly from the back of a cocktail napkin as I brainstormed this afternoon, so I'm 100% certain that it can be improved. The main thing, though, is to spend minimal time refining it, and maximum time translating it into real action.

1. Own the Online Battlefield

APC is just the first toehold. ChitChat, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ all need to be places that there is a steady stream of communication against the TA so that anyone coming to these places for information is going to encounter our message. Post often and gain maximum visibility for the best posts with requotes, retweets, likes, shares, and +1s. Once voting opens keep reminding people about exactly where and how they can register their no vote. The audience includes segments of our entire pilot group, but most especially the "New Hires" (2007-2015) for whom social media is second nature. We need this group to vote in absolutely huge numbers and 90% against the TA in order to obtain our goal. My sense is that this group, which includes many of my friends, is predisposed against the TA, but they are going to need to be motivated to not only vote no but also to take strong action to influence fence-sitters, including many of the Captains they are flying with.

2. Develop a Few Succinct Talking Points

One of the problems we're encountering early on is the hydra effect, where there are so many potential problems with the TA and so many ways of looking at it that it is creating confusion. We need to focus our efforts on a few key points and hammer on them simply and relentlessly. My 3 suggestions are:

TA2015 Costs Delta Pilot Jobs. It sets our share of the AF/KLM JV even lower than where it is at now after 4 years of company non-compliance with the previous language. It allows the MEC chairman to approve a foreign alter-ego. It outsources yet more 76 seat jumbo-RJs; the 100-seaters they are tied to are not growth aircraft. It proves that DALPA is not willing to hold the line on scope, which is the only guarantee we have of continued employment.
TA2015's Increased Pay is Offset by Concessions. Once the profit sharing reduction is accounted for, pay increases only 14.86% by 2019; plan on 2% inflation, and our buying power increases by a mere 7.68%, or 2.2% per year. To pay for this miserly increase during a time of record multi-billion dollar profits, we give up QOL provisions. Every single FO and even junior CAs will be impacted by OE trips being pulled from PBS; the increased TLV will result in everyone flying more; and the marginal increases in training and vacation pay (no credit) will result in those events continuing to mess up your bidding every few months.
TA2015 Will Potentially Decrease Safety. The company claims that sick leave abuse is rampant among our pilot group but has produced zero evidence of their claims. To fix this supposed problem, they wish to take sick leave verification out of the hands of the chief pilots office and put it into the hands of a non-pilot third party whose job will be to minimize sick leave usage, who will have access to our health records, and who will determine our fitness to return to duty with severe FAA medical implications. This will have a chilling effect, encouraging pilots to fly while sick and fatigued. Similar harassment is already common at the regional airlines and has arguably contributed to several fatal accidents; we can never allow this to happen at Delta Air Lines.

I'd also suggest that we create a unifying slogan, ideally one that points out the wide gap between this TA and what we were previously promised by our union. Off the top of my head I'll suggest "TA2015: Wrong Time, Wrong Target" or "TA2015: Time To Vote No!" I'm sure someone here can come up with something catchier.

3. Create Visible Opposition On the Line

Many line pilots are likely unaware that there is any opposition. We need to create constantly visible signs that there is a revolt underway. Bag tags, lanyards, stickers, & stacks of leaflets in the crewrooms, crew buses, and distributed to those we interact with every day will create curiosity and make pilots seek out sources of information other than the official ALPA line. We need people with experience in manufacturing to get these out ASAP, and others to donate the money needed to procure them.

When others do ask you about the TA, it's very important to discuss it in a calm and respectful manner, and in a way that does not jeopardize CRM or otherwise compromise safety. The facts will speak for themselves; we just need to convince folks to look at all the facts and not merely the baubles that ALPA is trotting out.

4. Create Visible Opposition at Road Shows

This is where the MEC administration is going to try to dazzle the fence-sitters with bull****; we can't let that happen without a resounding answer. Starting in Cincinnatti, we need to show up at these things en masse and turn them into our venue to educate the undecided. We need to bring signs, distribute leaflets, object when falsehoods are uttered, clap and cheer when they are refuted - and where recalls are in process, publicize them.

5. Don't Let the Other Side Fluster You. Fluster them.

The real-life counterparts of posters like alfaromeo and slowplay are heavily involved in this process and their stock in trade is to use sneering condescension to try to belittle, fluster, upset, and ultimately silence pilots who refuse to fall in line. Don't let them get to you, don't get emotional, fight back by ignoring them and addressing the real audience with calm logic. They sidelined DPA by painting TC as a raving lunatic after he got emotional and made some poor decisions. Don't let them do the same to you. Several of these guys have very fascist, controlling, anti-democratic inclinations, and it will drive them absolutely nuts that you're using their venue to effectively spread your message. You see how poorly they responded to comments on their Facebook page? Keep that up!

5. Recruit the Insiders

This cannot be done entirely outside of ALPA; we need DALPA to be a house divided for the duration of the voting. We need the reps who voted no to continue to be vocal no matter how much the MEC admin and national try to put a gag order on them. We need their words distributed well beyond their own councils. We need to peel off a couple of the reps who were inclined against the TA but were pressured into voting for memrat on the cynical "let the pilots vote" argument from those who ignored line pilot input in the first place. Those who know these guys personally need to start working on them right away. Those who cannot be "turned" need to be recalled, or at least have the credible thread of recall distracting them from selling the TA.

Nearly all of these reps are true believers in ALPA, though their faith in this particular MEC administration may be shaken. One of their worst fears is DPA successfully challenging for representation. I'm not going to tell you what to do re: DPA. I'm not sure I want them on property myself; how I would vote in any actual election is probably dependent on DALPAs behavior over the next month. But I've finally concluded that DPA deserves the chance to be heard, and furthermore needs to rattle DALPA's cage. I've finally been provoked into turned a card in, and I'm guessing many others have as well. Each card increases our leverage. But let's not confuse our Defeat TA2015 drive with a DPA drive, nor let ALPA paint us as a bunch of DPA supporters.

That's all I've got. Discuss here...but moreso, discuss with PMs, emails, phone calls and in-person meetings, and turn the talk into action. Quickly. Most of us here at Delta are pretty happy, and happiness breeds apathy. I know it took this "historic" TA to shake me out of it. I think it had that effect on a lot of us, and the MEC may have just unwittingly awakened a sleeping giant.