Well they have so many of them up there, what else you gonna do with them?

That's funny. I laughed. But then a little while later my wife shows me a viral pic a dude took, and i guess posted on the interweb, from his car while flood waters were over taking it. He died from what the article said.

It's happening. Blame the trees.

Theses winter uniforms don't make themselves. The baby seals are under an amendable contract, the initial intent was reinterpreted.

http://img.costumecraze.com/images/v...0-42-large.jpg

The market for seals has gone up so add increased uniform allowance to the negotiations.

Dammit! I shorted baby seal pelts on the Taiwan market Friday before the close. I guess I'll have to take my medicine on Tuesday morning.

If true, there is a perfect example of "Darwins Law" at work.

Denny

They raise SEALs from babies? I thought the Navy .. um .. recruited them or something. :confused: :p

Now that there is funny. I don't care who you are.

Considering the last lame attempt was one of, if not the, biggest reasons for the first ever, and large majority, NO vote, they can bring whatever they want and it won't get a majority.

They simply can't afford to pay what it would cost. 8% and a couple years COLA isn't sweet enough for even incredibly minor concessions. Let them tell us to eat cake and rub it in that "a contract is a contract" like all the discredited management teams of the past.

Ed Bastian would have the shortest tenure in the history of CEOs

Did you see the latest Forbes article about him blowing $4 Billion on fuel hedges, and then saying he's not paid to make those decisions?

If he's not, who is? And why is he being paid at all?:rolleyes:

Here's the links to the Bloomberg TV videos of the Ed Bastian Interview.

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjourna...S0g?autoplay=1

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjourna...BxQ?autoplay=1

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjourna...T4r?autoplay=1

If I may...i'd like to point out a few things as a semi-outsider. Part of Delta yes, just not in flight ops.

1. Why do guys keep picking up white slips especially now during Section 6 negotiations? Over the past 30 days i've flown with 2 Captains that said they picked up a while slip. This should not even be an option at this point.

2. Why is it that 60-70% of FOs I fly with have the orange lanyard yet only maybe 25% of Captains have it on? Not a statistical survey...based mostly on my trips over the past 2-3 months. If you can even wear an orange lanyard then why would you expect to get certain results out of negotiations?

3. At what point do you guys start flying the contract? Pilots are still going over contractual duty day limits, going outside and helping the ramp, not writing things up downline so that the plane doesn't get stuck in an outstation etc. This in my opinion is where you guys have real leverage. There's so many things you do, that you don't have to, to keep the operation going that if you just stopped doing it would make Delta management have an "oh fu**" moment. The NMB won't let you strike, it's out of the question. This is your leverage...

Answering #1 only...If a guy with a regular (i.e. not reserve) schedule is under 75 hours, any green slip he flies does not pay double until he breaks 75 hours for the month. So, if he flew a GS early in the month, he might need to pick up a white slip trip to break the GS trigger to get his double pay. Also, not all of our categories are undermanned, so GS are not available to all. If you are a junior commuter in an overmanned category, it can be nearly impossible to get a GS.

If you drop your entire 88 hour line to get the days off you want, then you have to white-slip to get the 70 hours you intended to do that month. To each his own.

I don't always credit more than 70hrs a month...

...but when I do its for premium pay.

Stay thirsty my friends.

Dalfa,
We are an assoc. not a union. So, some guys just don't get it. I happen to agree with you.

Hey now.

http://nebula.wsimg.com/fef5e99618f0...&alloworigin=1

Wow, that didn't take long at all. More memes to come, now that I know how. :p

Gosh, Sure Want Crackers. But they make such a mess.

I have a better question. Why don't you mind your own business, and we will mind ours?

Brah, like, chillax, dude. Those were valid questions.

Pithy answers to #2 & #3...

2) Some hate lanyards, some are afraid of going to Delta jail, some hate ALPA so much they refuse to wear anything remotely suggesting they are in favor of ALPA, etc...

3) I think we are mostly taking the high road with the NMB.

Actually I think DALFAs questions are better. Are you an aspiring "Captain Happy?" :D


I too have noticed similar percentages with the lanyards.

Scoop

She has more balls then you, kid.

TEN

Good one, nyet. I just love it when a non-pilot thinks she or he has the platform to tell us whether or not we should put in a WS request. There is a whole universe of complexities to our contract that even a pilot has no business making that ridiculous assertion, much less a FA.

I'm kinda with you in that point. I do think she has a point about leverage. We have the ability to make a difference, we are just too short sighted to see or use it.

I'm all about safety, if it needs to be written up, then do so, no matter where you are.

I sort of agree with you (and her) on the leverage thing (which probably sounds like it contradicts some earlier posts of mine). However we have to ensure that pilots make individual decisions for themselves and not presume to make those decisions for others.

Let's not "mind ours." Let's threaten to help them organize (and follow through) if mgmt doesn't start playing ball.

It's Nothwest airlines as far as labor relations are concerned. Just because we haven't collectively figured that out doesn't make it go away.

I know that you don't believe me... but I agree with you. That IS a viable step for us to pursue.

Believe it or not, it is my business. Why?

1. Since we're not unionized (and many pilots think we shouldn't) then ALPA gets to indirectly negotiate for us as well.

2. Since we have the same employer and share the same workspace (separated by a door) then it is my business.

3. Since many pilots seems to believe that our 14.5% pay increase was a huge raise and tell my coworkers that...even when the cut to PS alone eats up 3/4 of that 14.5% then I'll go ahead and offer my opinion on your situation.

4. I have years of union experience, even though I don't have one now and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to look back in history and see how labor has been successful in attaining considerable gains.

5. There's too many pilots out there that think the NMB is going to release you guys to strike. Read my lips: Never gonna happen!

6. I can't stand our greedy executive team and would much rather you guys get your fair share rather than Big Ed fatten up his wallet even more.

7. Dude, we're on the same team...

We need more of you in the pilot group.

Speak up!

TEN

I wonder if shes hot? ;)

She's absolutely right. We will never ever be released for self help. When was the last time the NMB released anybody? We have to use our leverage now that "Summer is here".

About 5 or 6 years ago, the Spirit pilots were released and did strike.

Unless i'm mistaken...the last pilot group to go on strike was the Spirit pilots who went on strike in June of 2010. Their contract became amendable in January of 2007. So 42 months after the amendable date of the contract for a group that's a fraction the size of the Delta pilot group.

Believe it or not your 14.5% raise was a huge pay increase. As for PS, and I know this is going to get me a tongue lashing of epic scale, the pilot group gave up something and negotiated PS in it's place. We expended time and capital to achieve it. The other employee groups had it given to them once this occurred. It has been a few years of free extra income for you. If you feel that this statement is wrong please explain it to me. I don't know how many times over the last few years I've had FA's ask me "Do you guys get PS too?"

So "self-help" = we can strike? Which means we have to get permission from someone to strike? New to union stuff.

Yep - pretty much. If we try to take actions that fall under "self Help" before being released to do so it would cause a lot of trouble for DALPA/ALPA.

We are in mediation now and I believe the NMB (or a similar gov't entity)has to "release" us which depending on who you believe can be anytime between 6 months and never.

Many on this board think we will never be released due to the size of DAL. John Malone has said repeatedly that he does not believe this. He thinks a release is possible but it will only be for a very major issue.

FWIW - I tend to share his opinion.

Scoop

Regionals have gone 6,7,8 years without being released. To think that they would allow a carrier of Delta's size and influence to strike is simply laughable.

UAL 1985

NWA 1998
AMR 1999 lasted 30 minutes then Presidential Emergecy Board and a contract to follow
Comair 2000
NWA mechs 2005

Sprit 2010



It is possible

Dalfa,
Im responding to this post because there was a time I was a pilot centric (ex military) guy. Over time my viewpoint has changed and what you are saying is really quite correct.

We pilots are unionized contract workers. That status carries some plusses and some minuses. We were hired to perform our trade/skillset. We are no longer the military's leaders and managers.

Former military guys, please listen. The company may have hired you because you had a track record of expertise and success. But, the reality is they do not want your opinion on anything managerial. If you try to see the operation through the prism of management, you hurt our bargaining position.

Today, now, you are a "technician pilot" nothing more. DALPA appears, thru negotiations, to be attempting to bring Delta into the current day wrt the value of a pilot. The market value of a pilot is pretty high right now. Dont hamstring our value by trying to see it the other sides way.

I post this only because I was a former mil guy and I didnt understand unions or unionization at all when I was hired. It took me a few years before that bulb began to even shine at 10-15 watts. So trust me on this. You are a cost item. Your job, our job collectively, is to raise that cost...substantially.