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Capt. Prater on NWA/Delta...

Old 05-10-2008, 10:15 PM
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Default Capt. Prater on NWA/Delta...

From the National ALPA board:

Subject: Delta Early Retirement Facts
Author: JOHN PRATER
Date: 11 May 2008 12:42 AM

Delta and Northwest Members:

All in all a worthwhile discourse.While it is far too easy to pick apart any post for its intent or slights, and any of the arguments for seniority integration methodology can lead to active debates, I have been impressed by many of the deep insights in these public debates.

I will continue to interact with the MEC Chairmen and management as needed to find the consensual solution for a single CBA that treats all of the merged pilots the same way as quickly as possible.

My message to management and the investors/lenders is that a merged airline will not fly profitably and the potential for synergoies will not be realized if it is based upon unequal conditions. While some provisons like scheduling systems will take longer than other provisons to implement, there are some primary conditions that must be of equal parity on day one of the merged entity. Parker tried to save pennies by refusing to treat the USAirways east pilots equitably on day 1 and that served no one very well.

I don't get to respond to many of the posts but try to read them on the weekends because there are many extremely poignant posts.

While vitriolic expressions of concern will always take place during periods of uncertainity, fortunately you are all professionals that understand there is no place for it in the cockpit.

Both of your MEC Chairmen and your MECs are excellent advocates for our Union and for your positions. Everyone knows that pilots can dig in if required, but my discussions with both of your leaders have been productive and have set the course to re-engage in joint contract talks-- first internally and then shortly therefater with management. I only ask that no-one falls in love with their own ideas or tactics to such an extent that mutual consensual solutions are unobtainable and leave a bitter foundation for the remainder of our careers.

I will be present at Congressman Oberstar's hearing next week to support each of your MECC as they testify before Congress. I have already met with Chairman Oberstar, Congressman Costello and others on the House Aviation Committee, and with Senate Leader Reid, Rockefeller, and Kennedy and others on Commerce and Aviation on ALPA's position on airline mergers in general. While the IAM is against ALL mergers, our position is that we will analyze each potential merger on its own merits and that in order to be successful, management must meet our demands prior to the merger being consummated.

It is the work and the extreme concessions of our members in the face of bankrupcty or under the threat of 1113 contract rejections that permitted our individual airlines to emerge, build large cash reserves and continue to fly. No ALPA Rep and None of our members will stand for management or WS bankers taking care of themselves again at our future expense.

In the face of unprecedented fuel increases, WE have refused to budge on our demands for contract improvements be it in advance of mergers or for stand-a-lone operations.

Delta's LOA 19 which has not yet been membership ratified or signed only sets the wage bar higher. Many NWA pilots have urged me to not sign it as they feel that it will disadvantage them in a SL integration. I must tell all that it is my honest belief that the Delta ALPA leadership wants a single contract asap that permits a unified pilot group to emerge from this merger. My commitment is to do everything possible to hold managements' feet to the fire that exists, so that all pilots can recover from the last 6 years of bankruptcy concessions. All National Officers and staff are prohibited from engaging on seniority integration under merger policy, but that does not mean we cannot encourage both leaderships to engage under the first provision of merger policy that permits-- if both agree to try-- to find a method of integration that precludes the final two steps of mediation and then binding arbitration.

I have suggested to both teams that if they follow that process and get stuck, I would convene a panel of unaffected or even retired former ALPA leaders to enter the discussions, listen and suggest a non binding solution to close the gap, so that each team could consider the non binding proposal before choosing the merger polciy course of mediation and arbitration by a non pilot outsider.

Our fight MUST be against management and not against each other. After the Congressional Hearings on Wednesday, I will attend the NWA MEC meeting on Friday. I encourage the discourse to continue but in a way that should management be listening, they will know that the combined solidarity and power of the Delta and Northwest pilots will not fall prey to divisiveness and weakness.

In Unity,

John




I was impressed that he takes the time to read the forums...


FWIW here's my response to his post:


Subject: Delta Early Retirement Facts
Author:
Date: 11 May 2008 01:50 AM

Capt. Prater, thank you for posting!

It's nice to know that you are paying attention to this message board and I sincerely appreciate your interest in keeping up with what some of your constituency is thinking and talking about...

Please stress to both the NWA and Delta MEC's that they must communicate to the maximum extent they are able what is going on as the process goes forward.

As you can see from the conversations here, pilots are like nature - we abhor a vacuum.

We will fill it whether we know what we are talking about or not, and that is what weakens unity.

Take the message to our MEC's that they must stop pointing fingers at each other (or allow others to point the fingers for them) and both must forcefully & publicly state their intention to work together!


Thanks for the long hours you put in on our behalf.


Kevin
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Old 05-10-2008, 10:58 PM
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Thats a good read thanks for posting. I cant wait for this to be finished so we can move forward as 1 solid unified pilot group and we can all share in the success of the new Delta. Cheers!!
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Old 05-11-2008, 03:39 AM
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Prater hasn't inpressed me much since he took office..... But the above post is good. I hope both MEC's try and reach a fair and equitable solution together and if an agreement cannot be reached then take Praters offer of an ALPA panel to help.
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Old 05-11-2008, 03:39 AM
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Prater's post is a bunch of self-righteous eyewash. The guy just repeated a bunch of ALPA talking points, which he's either unable or unwilling to back up with credible action, even if he meant them.

There is absolutely nothing in there containing any insight that is remotely imaginative, constructive, or worthwhile.

Even if he does read the posts (which I doubt), he has not taken the wishes of the majority of membership into consideration in his decisions...ever.

He continues to shore up policies that benefit him and his cronies at the expense of the rank-and-file.

Now he writes one post containing absolutely zero "meat," and everyone's ready to raise their dues. But I guess with ALPA national's recent actions, even one fluffy post acknowledging that we lowly line pilots even exist is a cause for celebration.

I'm not jumping on the bandwagon.

P.S. Thank you, ALPA, for voting to charge dues on my 401k company contributions. I guess the union fat cats don't have any clue how to manage our money or live within a budget. It's called "cutbacks." You can start with your salaried employees.

Last edited by Spaceman Spliff; 05-11-2008 at 10:14 AM.
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Old 05-11-2008, 06:02 AM
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I must be missing something. When I read the letter in the post I didn't find anything that had to do with "Delta early retirement facts."
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Old 05-11-2008, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by ExAF View Post
I must be missing something. When I read the letter in the post I didn't find anything that had to do with "Delta early retirement facts."
That was just the title of the thread he tagged onto on the ALPA board. Sorry for the confusion.


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