CVG767A

The Delta group approached Comair's MEC several years ago with that intention. We were interested in attaching their seniority list, but they felt that they should be integrated by date of hire. The senior guys seemed to think that their rightful place was the left seat of our 757s. Needless to say, nothing came of it. Once again, the top of the list (the lifers, I think they're called) screwed the junior guys.They ended up not even willing to pursue a flow-through agreement for the same reason.

These are the same guys that wouldn't help get Delta furloughees preferential hiring at Comair. Lawson and his cronies are not our friends.

I think it's ironic that they spent so much time and energy trying to sneak in our back door (RJDC and the ongoing attempt to challenge our scope clause), that they left their own back door unlocked. Now they are shrinking, and their flying is increasingly done by ASA, Chataqua, Skywest...

The good guys over there need to take their MEC back from the lifers.

dckozak

Its your union too. You "Good guys" need to take control if the leadership is not working in the interests of all its members. Its pretty common for the leadership positions of any organization to be filled with the senior ranks, junior guys don't feel its their place to lead. Unfortunately, the top and bottom of a seniority list have different agenda's both need addressing. While the "graybeards" are worried about there (pending??) retirement, junior guys are more interests in not getting knocked off the bottom of the list (through contraction of the airline). Growth is life, when at the bottom of a company seniority list, heart attacks and back injuries are the food of life when you've reached the highest seat/ac you can hold.
Ahhh, to be young and senior!

CVG767A

Good MEC leadership does take all seniority ranges into consideration. I think Delta's MEC, unlike Comair's, has good leadership. I wonder if junior guys at Comair see it as a stepping stone to a career with SWA or JB, and decide not to get involved.

As always, young and senior trumps old and junior.

jonnyjetprop

I guess someone has to ask. Why not date of hire seniority on a combined list? Let me guess, you think that they should be stapled to the bottom

UGBSM

YGBSM!!

You are an MD-11 Capt? Which leads me to believe you weren't born yesterday. And you have to ask why?

jonnyjetprop

Yes, I'm a MD-11 captain and I've been around the block a couple of times. I've seen mergers run the gamit from date of hire, percentages, and staple them to the bottom. I think, as an outsider looking in, that it was a fair question to ask. I'll assume that you are a Delta pilot. I know that you would want to staple them to the bottom. I believe that was the offer on the table. Looking at the situation now, I'm sure the Comair guys are glad they didn't take the deal.

CVG767A

For one thing, we have alot of guys who took a chance, and made a sacrifice to leave a comfortable position on the Comair seniority list to start over at Delta. They should be senior to someone who took the safe road and stayed at Comair.

I expect that when this shakes out, a narrow body F/O will earn just above what a regional captain earns, as has traditionally been the case. To conform to this, the RJ captain would slot in below any mainline F/O.

Personally, I don't want them on our seniority list at all. I've had too many former Comair guys tell me that we don't want many of the Comair lifers; There is a reason that they stayed over there when the majors were hiring like crazy. My apologies to the many, many good Comair guys; I hate to generalize, but I'm sure you know some of the guys to which I'm referring.

BTW, I'm in the top 20% of the seniority list- I don't expect that this issue would have a major effect on me.

dckozak

I think your reasoning is short sighted. Your industry is being, or will soon be wipped sawed by these guys you don't want to fly with. I'd think it would be better to have them on the property, and deal with (their) faults, than having them flying your business at a discount.

CVG767A

Don, my reasoning may be short sighted if just considering scope. You're right- keeping the groups seperate will ensure a scope battle for years to come.

It would be worth it, however to keep the problem children off the property. Dealing with their faults is something I'd prefer to avoid. I've dealt with some of these guys when I was an F/O, and I'd like to keep my fellow pilots from having to put up with some of the things I had to contend with. Enough of these types on the property could really decimate quality of life while on the road, not to mention creating a safety hazard.

One of the things that makes this job still worth doing is the ability to go to cool places and have an okay copilot/ captain to hang out with. I've flown trips where I've quietly stared out of my cockpit window, saying only what was absolutely necessary for the flight. In some instances, I've avoided my fellow crew member on layovers. Given the financial hits we've taken, the QOL issues are all the more important.