James - hired older, with a retirement in your back pocket - may I assume military?

How did you get a raise each year? You work thru the pay matrix and match up Grade and number of years for your monthly pay, but year to year the rate sheet was approved by Congress. You got a COLA raise (and still do) virtually every year to account for inflation, right?

What did you give up to get it?

Nothing.

They want you (until they don't want you), and will give bigger COLA raises to both reward you, and to attract quality talent, especially during times of war and crisis.

Generally, they do not ask you to work more jobs, fly more sorties, be away from home even more hours in order to get paid - you just do your job.

Similarly, what concessions does Richard Anderson give every year in order to get a raise?

None?

He also did a great job, leads a great company. And gets a HUUUGE raise in compensation every year as a reward. BIG - on the order of 35% and 42% more compensation increases. Per YEAR! No concessions. Not needed, not expected.


Yes, the company would LOVE for you to offset a pay raise with concessions, the more the merrier. But we don't have to give them everything they want, we are here to get a pay raise.

We could avoid a lot of this silliness if we were able to install an automatic COLA adjustment in our contracts, instead of having to negotiate for these raises, especially after emerging from bankruptcy rates. Or a snapback. But at least we have Profit Sharing. Don't give it up so easily.

 

We have a COLA it's just not defined by a timeline. The next pay raise non-cons get, we will get. And the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that... You get the picture.

 

How do you know the Guarantee Fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer?

 

Why? That's easy. They tried to make the pilots buy their own pay increase for 2016. In other words, it cost them nothing for the next few years with our current projected profits.

JB,

No one knows how long this will take. If someone voted No on the TA and thought this was going to be resolved quickly, they were sadly mistaken. If you want to know the hourly pay rate that would restore the 737 pay, take the 2004 737 rate times 18% times the yearly inflation rate (conservatively 2% a year so say 24%). Do I think we are going to get that ..........No.........but I don't expect to have to buy my own increase either.

Denny

 

Well said Denny.

Maddogflier, i know your patience is wearing thin, but this is not for the faint of heart. Management is looking to capitalize on weak-willed pilots. This bullying-into-submission tactic only works if you let it. Youre an accomplished, experienced pilot. Its time to show them you have a backbone, you have patience, and youre willing to stand up for whats right. Dont worry, you dont have to go at it alone because were here with you every step of the way.

When all is said and done and this is resolved, sure management wont like us, but they'll sure as heck respect us.

 

So Mr. secret agent man firsts asks how long is this going to take.... and for personal guarantees...... while bemoaning the sad reality of his 'retirement' depending on it.....

Then informs, 'he can retire at any time, because after all.... he has a mil-five 401k and taken care of business outside of delta'.

Nothing at risk.... yet is fishing for the endgame numbers and suggesting those younger pilots with the most to lose are 'driving the process'

GD right..... they SHOULD be driving the process...... it is THEIR FUTURE at stake.

12 years to go. If you are lucky... and don't have a medical disqualification. That likely makes you 53.......hired 'late'...... okay so lets guess you have been around ten.

You have no perspective on Timbos and the rest of our B scale experience.... and how for years WE DIDNT EVEN HAV A 401K......or how in having that phoney DB plan we were PROHIBITED from meaningful participation in self directed savings.....

Let alone the wipe out of ALL the employer contributions to the 401.....because our CBA 'helped' management avoid an LBO by creating an ESOP stock poison pill as the employer contribution script to our 401s.

Not to worry alpa says.... it has a GUARANTEED value of $72/share. Of course we had NO authority to negotiate these positions..... and when it no longer served managements purpose..... and with our CBAs cooperation..... it was converted to common...... and then.....evaporated into thin air.

All the while.... the plan administrator....DELTA MANAGEMENT... did NOTHING.... to attempt to preserve the 401k account holders position. They could have liquidated these positions AT ANY TIME in the slide to zero.

But they did not...... see, once again the end game is to 'pay' pilots, without it really costing management a cent.

Mr bond...you have removed any lingering doubt in my perception of your complete lack of understanding and/or appreciation of the industry in which you are employed.

 

I agree Bobby Z.

I think Mr. Bond hasn't invested much into becoming an Airline Pilot. Little invested, little lost. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But now he wants to hurry up and -settle- for a meager raise, and pay for it once again, by giving concessions in other areas? No thanks. Been there, done that, many, many, many times before.

First 5 years on the B Scale, then the 1991 Gulf War caused stagnation, downsizing and two mergers (Western and Pan Am) worth of consolidation of fleets to absorb, the first furloughs in the history of Delta as well.

Then POS 96, closing of all the smaller basses and moving the 737-200's from mainline to Express, just as Bob and I, after 11 years of BS, were about to be able to hold mainline Captain on it, poof, it's gone to Express at $110/hr.

In fact, looking back at 30 years of contracts at Delta, I can honestly say there were only 4 years, 2001-2004, where the Delta pilot pay was near 'average' airline history pilot pay. And even in that contract, we gave up concessions such as losing power move ups for reserves, and gave up MORE scope with more/larger RJ's.

Then of course, 9-11 and rapidly rising fuel prices, bankruptcy, 42% pay cut and 100% pension loss.

Since the Deregulation Act in 1978, the economic conditions in this industry have NEVER been better than they are right now. Eight airlines are now consolidated to only 4, and instead of constantly undercutting each other, they are finally working together to raise fares. Airline earnings have NEVER been higher than they are today. In 2015+2016 Delta will earn more money than in every year of the entire history of Delta Air Lines...COMBINED!

But James Bond is in a hurry to settle this so he can give up more concessions for 3% pay raises? YGTBSM.

Hey, in 10 days Delta is going to give you a Strike Fund check. SAVE IT for when we might need it. If the company knows we are not afraid to walk, they will come to the table sooner.

They are counting on the two basic human instincts, Fear and Greed, to motivate us to capitulate...AGAIN! Don't be a Settler, grow a spine and stand up for yourself, and let's RESTORE this profession, NOW, while they CAN afford it, BEFORE they buy back any more Stock!

 

Timbo....

EVERY pilot on this property should appreciate and acknowledge this singular truth.......

Managements imperative to continue the CK2012 INITIATED sunset of the current profit sharing compensation is driven by THEIR RECOGNITION that arguably since the 1969 coup d'etat of convincing delta pilots to surrender an S&P indexed DC retirement plan..... for an EMPLOYER OWNED DB plan.......

that they are actually going to finally be on the losing end of one of the 'pay pilots without it costing a cent' shell games.

 

$5M 401k! Where did he go? Could he manage my 401?

 

Reading is fundamental.