What would Delta management want- DPA or DALPA?

My answer is it depends.

 

Yes it does. If they want labor peace to do another deal, ALPA, If they and the ATA/IATA want to really have a go at it with foreign ownership, et al. DPA would implode the only voice on this side of the Atlantic that anyone listens to.

 

Spot on, acl, as you often are.

 

There is little doubt ALPA will once again Fail the Delta Pilots.

Their day's are numbered......

 

That may be true, but it would be a shame if the pilots did not hold their reps accountable, who in turn held the MEC accountable. If they do not like what they see, it is the pilots job to speak up, recall if need be and change the course.

 

Deleted for TOS terms.

 

For where? MSP?

 

They also love the bag fee revenues for another reason.
The govt collects all kinds of extra taxes and surcharges on "airline tickets".
Since its not part of the ticket, the bag fees aren't subject to those taxes. Just like headsets, food and liquor.
The airlines save big $$ on taxes by collecting their money in other ways outside the price of the "ticket".

 

$2B, huh? Can Delta 'handily afford it' - even if it's 1/2 that?

The contract that doesn't prioritize scope and merger protection is the one that's a failure. 'Pay me now' or 'pay me later' scenarios are both irrelevant if Alaska keeps growing (7.2% growth vs. DL's 2.5% in 2Q2011) their codeshare, if over 50% of DL's domestic flights are RJ's, if Air France/KLM continues to grow the transatlantic flights of SkyTeam, or if Delta somehow gets pulled into a SLI that is anything like AirTran/Southwest, US Airways/AmericaWest, or Frontier/Midwest/Republic. Lose your seniority, lose your QOL, maybe even lose your job - would that pay raise you got really make up for those kinds of losses? Like insurance, you don't want to pay for it, right up until you wished you had it.

Making more $ with less work isn't a very good goal - it doesn't benefit Delta, just raises costs. Look @ Southwest - their pilots make $ by working hard on their days of work, and the company benefits with increased productivity. That is a goal that everyone can get behind on both sides of the table - add realistic incentives to the contract that reward pilots for working, and reward Delta for good scheduling - in short, better rigs. Pilots get paid either way (soft $ or actual flight hours), company reduces costs by scheduling the pilots productively, so they earn the $ through flying the plane, rather than get it all in soft pay while sitting around on duty or away from base, but not flying. More days off, higher pay for days at work, more productivity from the employee - that's good for both sides. More $ in pilots' pockets, less $ wasted on inefficiencies by Delta.

 

Then ALPA and the company better listen to us. We paid $38 million in dues last year and received $9 million in services. I am tired of funding services for other airlines. If the company likes the "yes men" at DALPA, then pay up to keep the DPA out. I won't vote yes for a crappy TA, and the majority won't either. ALPA will have a hard sell if they "aim low." Remember, $950 million in bag fees and ten successful airfare increases.

Also, don't think the DPA couldn't get in there with a voice on this side of the Atlantic. I'm sure they could hire the same outsourced services ALPA employs (like ALPA medical) and maybe some of the same attorneys etc, at half price too. Dues would only be 1%, and no more paying for huge conferences with $500 a day spending by attendees.