76drvr

He wasn't recalled because of his demonstrated capabilities in the merger field, he reset the bar for original, expansive, and effective thinking regarding pilot seniority list integration, and he has re-written the books on how they will be conducted in the future. He was recalled for other reasons that have yet to be communicated to the pilot group.

It's a shame that this was done as a last minute rushed resolution on the first day of an MEC meeting, without him even being present, and that it was done with little to no warning or advance notification of the pilot group, particularly when the Master Chairman offered a more elegant solution; just schedule a new election and announce it to the pilot group. Not really the transparent MEC many were hoping for.

76drvr

How is it that sole goal of our union now is figuring out what color lanyard we will wear? It seems that the bulk of union efforts for the past few weeks have been centered on this orange lanyard and alternately begging, threatening and berating anyone who does not wear the lanyard. Just think back a year ago when we started negotiations, the pilots’ primary priorities were to get more pay and get it in a timely fashion. If the union had stated back then that our primary goal was to change lanyard colors and that we would forfeit $24,000 a year per pilot to get this lanyard, there would have been a revolt. Yet now, with little to no discussion about priorities of the pilots, we are now engaged in a lanyard war, that even if won, will net us absolutely zero.

In order to understand how we got here, you have to step back to a macro view that we live in a capitalistic economic system, one that is guided by markets and market pricing. Imagine a car dealer that told you that his bottom line price for a new car was 45% above invoice. You would walk out immediately. Imagine your neighbor that decided to put his house on the market for 45% above what other comparable houses in that area sold for. How long would it take him to sell that house?

In C2K we got top of market (United) plus 1%

In 2016 United got top of market (Delta) plus 4%

In January Delta offered us top of market (new United) plus 5%

In December, ALPA offered top of market (new United) plus 45%

That’s right 45% above market. When the NMB talks about the “Zone of Reasonableness” it should really just be called the “Zone of Common Sense”. Common sense capitalism along with a long history of pattern bargaining would tell you that you don’t take leaps of 45% above market. Any sane person would recognize this. You should expect that the executives, Board of Directors and shareholders at Delta would exercise the same principles of capitalism that you would apply to any transaction you make from buying a gallon of milk to a house. You won’t pay 45% above market.

So that brings us full circle to where we are today. A bunch of MEC reps convinced the pilot group to take a shot that voting no would lead to a quick deal with lots more on the table. It hasn’t and now we are stuck with a conundrum; admit we were wrong and walk back to the table to accept a deal similar to the rejected deal or just shoot for the moon and hope no one notices the foolishness of our position. In general, pilots are stubborn and hate admitting they were wrong, especially the MEC reps who led the rebellion, reps with a long history of shooting high and then failing (more about that later). So what do you do when you are stuck in this conundrum; well you wave a shiny object off to the side and get the pilot group looking at the shiny object hoping they won’t notice that we are on the road to nowhere.

I sat across the table from many of these same people (Bartels, Lewis, Hay, Mayer, etc.) during the seniority integration with Delta/Northwest. They applied those same failed policies of aiming way above market and refusing to budge. Us Moakies applied the same principles we applied in contract negotiations, define the market and then push the edge of the market as far as you can without straining credibility. It did not go well for them. Which of course leads to the question, if the Moakies are so weak and the Bartels crowd loses to the Moakies, what does that make them?

That explains the new obsession with lanyard color. If you can’t accomplish anything you might as well provide some phony conflict to distract everyone’s attention from the facts that their paychecks are short $2,000 a month and there is no credible plan to get that back within the next few years. You can paint your whole body orange and it won’t change the fact that we live in a country guided by capitalism and capitalistic principles. I can assure you that even if you don’t believe in capitalism that Delta does and the NMB does. By the way, so do arbitrators.

80ktsClamp

That is an eye rolling amount of bloviating. Even nicer how he blames it on the North guys!

He's never had an issue with the expansive size of his ego... Get recalled 18-1 and it's still not his fault!

Valar Morghulis

Wow. Just Wow. This douche is a committee chairman and posts this on SM? Does anyone believe all the new MEC is doing is lanyards? It's all the North guys fault?

It's pretty clear why he was recalled. 18-1 is obviously a repudiation of his conduct by his own peers.

BobZ

so its 'the market' that demands a single individual be empowered with sole control of our scope protections?

and its again 'the market' that is culpable for handing our personal and private medical records and treatment to a third party.

just to make myself clear. crystal clear. go fk yourself.

Timbo

OK, here's the part where his Common Sense Capitalism logic goes off the rails for me, from his post above:

"In order to understand how we got here, you have to step back to a macro view that we live in a capitalistic economic system, one that is guided by markets and market pricing. Imagine a car dealer that told you that his bottom line price for a new car was 45% above invoice. You would walk out immediately. Imagine your neighbor that decided to put his house on the market for 45% above what other comparable houses in that area sold for. How long would it take him to sell that house?

In C2K we got top of market (United) plus 1%

In 2016 United got top of market (Delta) plus 4%

In January Delta offered us top of market (new United) plus 5%

In December, ALPA offered top of market (new United) plus 45%"

But he never once mentions the BILLIONS we contributed to save Delta. He never once mentioned getting any of it back, BEFORE Management uses OUR RETIREMENT MONEY to buy back stock, to enrich themselves! He pretends the last decade of sacrifices NEVER EVEN HAPPENED!

I spoke with him on the phone as we were getting ready to vote on LOA 51 which, for you who weren't here, was the "Second bite of the Apple", or the 15% pay cut to secure bankruptcy exit financing. This was right after the MEC had replaced JM with LM. I asked why we were changing horses in mid stream. He said because JM was NOT going to give Delta ANY MORE CONCESSIONS, (JM gave them the 32% pay cut to stay out of bankruptcy) and Delta said they would have to liquidate if we didn't give them the 15%.

I said, "Of course that's what they said! They have NO OTHER LEVERAGE! I can't believe YOU believed them! Have you never played poker? They are bluffing! Delta Air Lines survival does NOT depend on US taking another 15% pay cut, but if it does, then let's put a snap back clause on it. As soon as Delta recovers, and you KNOW they will, WE GET PAID BACK FIRST, Before any Management Tools get Bonuses!!"

He said, "No management team would agree to that."

I said, "Well, I guess they don't really need it that badly then, do they?"

He said, "I don't know about YOU Tim, but I NEED THIS JOB!"

I said, "I need the job too Rich, but if Delta can't survive without another pay cut, screw them, I'd rather they liquidate NOW, while I'm still young enough to go to Emirates!"

We had already given up a 32% pay cut to stay out of bankruptcy, for a combined 42% off the C2K rates, AND we sacrificed our Defined Benefit pensions because their funding level was quickly dropping as the stock market crashed after 9-11 and so many guys left early taking 50% of their DB value with them. When our DB plan was handed over to the PBGC, word was it had enough money in it to fund a 49% DB for the remaining pilots. LM and RH said NO, it's all (60% DB) or none.

Rich was an enabler, a battered wife, or suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, I believe.

LOA 51 passed, (60-40?) we took yet another pay cut, Delta survived, with no snap back to our previous pay once Delta started earning Billions. We are today still being paid 18% LESS than in 2004, with no DB plan.

I want to hear RH explain rapidly rising and falling oil prices next, using his Common Sense Capitalism rational.

(Thanks for posting RH's stuff 76drvr)

Xray678

This!

As inadequate as they were, if the TA had only included the pay rates and changes to profit sharing, I think it would have passed.

That's what Harwood, Culp, Donatelli, etc never understood. The contract is more than pay rates, yet that's all they ever talk about when ****ing and moaning about the TA going down.

The sick leave, scope, and OE trip pull changes were huge over steps. The fact that the previous MEC would pass it on for a vote shows how deeply out of touch they had become.

forgot to bid

To me TA2015 was one of three things for Moaks:

A. A resume enhancer for a ALPA National position.

B. The NC ran into an EB/RA brick wall on cost increases and they devised fixes to scope, productivity and cost issues that DAL wanted fixed to get a small pay raise they thought would be acceptable. In the process they botched the costing of the fixes/gives/concessions because, well, they don't work the line and are clueless to what it means to us.

C. Both A & B.

Hank Kingsley

76,
I first met RH in the late 80's, he was wrenching on the 727 in CVG. I believe he may have been a new hire. I was flying a trip with him and a 59 year old Captain.
He said something which made the Captain turn in his seat. Typical smartest guy in the room comment. I was stunned. Since then, he's kept his stripes and everyone who knows him agrees.
As far as the TA, it didn't make sense to a majority of the apolitical. My rep regrets his decision to pass it on, from the horse's mouth.

Hank

forgot to bid

I'm glad this was posted. However, I was only able to get about one sentence in, remembered all of the Section 1 RJ discussion back in the day and just stopped. So I think technically I can still say...



Frankly, I just don't give a damn. Lanyard on.