July 10, 2015
DAL Council 16 LEC:
Chairman Captain Tim Heck
F/O Rep Dan Riesgo
Sec/Tres Tony Prato

Gentlemen -

I have just read MEC Chairman Donatelli’s letter of today citing the C2015 TA voting results. I am proud to have participated in this historic event and am writing to you to convey my desires so that our participatory process may move forward for the betterment of our entire pilot group.

First off - I voted to reject this TA. I want each of you to fully understand that I did so based on my own examination of the TA and did not rely on the myriad conflicting voices that I have been exposed to since June 10, 2015 when the TA was first presented to the membership. My reasons for rejecting this TA were based on the following:

- A “Strategic Opportunity” should not be linked to the Company’s needs or desires for any aircraft purchases. If the Company needs to purchase new aircraft based on their existing or future business models, they will do so. That is good business. DALPA misrepresents me when such purchases by the Company are linked to my acceptance of any agreement. I still remember the linkage of B-717s during C2012. E-190s are not where I want my future or the future of any current or future Delta pilot “linked” to. I get no pay or benefits from having code-share partners fly the wide-bodies I hope to be able to fly someday.

- Compensation: 1. Proposed compensation pay rates in and of themselves were anemic but acceptable in the sense that they would have moved us closer to where we should be given our obvious value to the Company. But linkage of the proposed pay rates to drastic reformulation of the Profit Sharing(PS) equation is unacceptable. Profit Sharing and Pay Rates should only be “linked” in the sense that any reformulation of PS reduction directly results in a greater percentage of pay increase for the duration of the contract. That’s the only future pay protection that makes any sense to me. 2. Training Pay should be equal to the minimum daily guarantee. My efforts during training are no less that what I expend during a normal work day and I should be compensated accordingly.

- Sick Leave. The proposed modifications to Sick Leave are byzantine at best and draconian at the worst. I don’t come to work when I’m sick and I don’t call in sick when I am well. If there is a problem with a portion of the pilot group concerning Sick Leave usage then I recommend that they be dealt with separately and appropriately. In addition. Our collective Sick Leave benefit was hard fought for by our ALPA predecessors. To give any of it back to the Company without clear gains on our part demonstrates shortness of vision and shows great disrespect for the legacy of our forbears in the collective bargaining arena.

- Productivity. This area was never made clear in any of the communications that I received from DALPA. I work pretty hard now - especially on my newly awarded aircraft. If I am to be made more productive, I expect to be compensated appropriately. Leaving productivity improvements that will obviously only benefit the Company unexplained is poor unionism.

- Fear. I am a professional air line pilot. I am a retired Marine Fighter Pilot with significant time at sea operating aboard aircraft carriers. I don’t scare easily and I don’t respond well to those who attempt to frighten me. DALPA MEC and Delta Air Lines through the Deltanet have communicated repeatedly that Mr. Richard Anderson has stated that our rejection of this TA “…will not result in a better agreement…” Please communicate to Mr. Anderson at your earliest opportunity that I voted NO.

Captain Donatelli has announced a special meeting of the MEC on July 21, 2015. I desire that you represent me at this special meeting by first demanding the immediate resignation of the entire Negotiating Committee to include legal counsel. If they don’t resign - fire them for dereliction of duty to the pilot group. Second, I desire that you demand the immediate resignation of Captain Donatelli and call for new MEC Chairman elections. Do not allow the MEC to retreat behind accusations of this TA’s failure due to any outside entity.

This TA failed overwhelmingly solely due to the MEC’s failure to ensure the negotiation of a contract worthy of membership support. To cast blame on any other entity would totally disregard the competence and abilities of the pilot group.

In closing, I invite your response to this letter and hope that your collective actions on behalf of the members of Council 16 will see us truly move forward. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Fraternally Yours,
Signed xxxx

 

That Marine is coloring with all 64 Crayons!

 

Semper Fi. Well said.

 

He used the words byzantine and draconian in the same sentence! Ooh Rah!!

 

In strong contrast to the well written letter above, Buzz Hazard was just awarded "Tool of the Day" for the spineless, devoid of leadership, letter he just put out. He needs to be canned and soon! We cannot make gains when our leadership is sabotaging our efforts. If he's the guy quoting Richard to the press he is awarded Biggest Tool of All Time. And these guys were worried about harming our bargaining position by releasing the survey results

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...ml#post1926579

Borrowed from the Widget-

From Reuters...
Delta declined to comment.

According to the UNION, Delta's Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson has said, "Failure to ratify the agreement will lead to a very different and longer path that will not result in a better deal. Uncertainty will prevail, and that will not be good for anybody."

ACCORDING TO THE UNION?!?! So now ALPA is a company spokesman???
This IS NOT leadership... Why quote a negative pressure spin from the company?
True leaders get behind their troops and set a new path to unity and victory! The don't chart a path defined by the opponents!