If that's his goal, he needs a new communications person. His email is full of jabs against the pre-merger DAL group, so it appears his REAL focus is to pit DAL against FNWA.

 

Ken's real focus is contract defense. If we don't defend our contract I'm really sure the company will not. From the moment the ink was dry on our contracts, NWA management led a full court press to try to re-define what the meaning of the word is...is. I don't know if DAL management is any different, but so far it doesn't look much different. The grievances are piling up and the only response from NWA or DAL management is the middle finger.

I am all for holding the company's feet to the fire on every single word of this contract. Every single word. That doesn't happen by magic or by wishing. It happens by legal action. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is.

Carl

 

You know, I finally got it. Arguing points with you guys is like "discussions" I had with my ex-wife. Apparently, no middle ground or leeway can be found unless I say, "You know what? You are absolutely right."

Well, you know what? You guys are absolutely right. Ken is wrong and just trying to pick a fight with you and he should get a communications person to do better.

-Nevermind that the NWA pilots on here are telling you that he is a straightforward guy.

-Nevermind that we are telling you that he is trying to brush back the calls from the rank and file NWA pilots who are complaining about the union being too secretive.

-Nevermind that the email I got was addressed to (Former) NWA pilots & it looked like a powerpoint presentation he put out for the NWA MEC, increasing the possibility that he only released it to the NWA pilots so they could see the thing in full light.

This thread a discussion is pretty much worthless. Have at it. If both sides always argue that they are right and make no attempt to understand the others point of view, you might as well talk to the walls. It's a shame that Civil War generals could have more respectful and thoughtful correspondence between each other than a group of professionals who are supposed to be on the same side. Good luck to us all because with these attitudes we will need it.

Your most humble and obedient servant,

New K Now

 

I'm going to preface this post with the fact that I've just gotten back from my favorite "watering hole" and watched the Seahawks dash the playoff hopes of the Brett Favre....re......re .....re and the NY Jets in the snow!!!!! I know, the Jets can still make it but it was good to see the Hawks win Holmgrens last home game!

I went to the Council 54 meeting on the 8th and Ken was there. I did not talk to him personally but he seems genuinely concerned about making sure that everyone knows the contract and we all enforce it to the best of our ability. He seemed very frustrated with the lack of communication between the pilot groups.

Who knows why this lack of communication is happening. There are usually to sides to every issue (my way and the wrong way!!!) and who knows what the problem is but it looks like we will have one MEC about the third week of next month and hopefully communication will pick up then or before.

Having listened to him at the ALPA meeting, I do hope he continues to be an advocate for the entire pilot group.

Denny

 

The facts as Ken sees them. Once again, the NWA MEC turns to publicly trashing the DAL MEC as their chief operating tactic.

Interesting, that within hours of the ALPA President calling for an election for a joint MEC, the NWA MEC tries to stir the pot and claim that the DAL MEC is discriminating against the former NWA pilots. "Getting the facts out" or "protecting my union job", I am sure it is one or the other.

Thanks for the advice Carl. And yet it wasn't the DAL MEC Chairman acting like a fool on You Tube or the DAL MEC Chairman whining to Congress about how his contract is a B-Scale or the DAL MEC Chairman demanding that he had to have contract parity from day one. The NWA Merger Committee's own testimony was that DAL has a record over many years of higher pay rates than NWA. I am sure you guys can teach us all about how to get better contracts. We are just a bunch of hicks from the south.

I read Ken Watts on the National Forum claiming that:

The Delta MEC never contacted the NWA MEC during LOA 19 Negotiations.

Truth : Multiple testimony shows that there were numerous and repeated contacts and that the Delta MEC strove to negotiate for the NWA MEC even though they refused to cooperate.

The NWA Merger Committee never made a Date of Hire proposal in February.

Truth : They did make those proposals and based their arbitration case on Date of Hire

The NWA Merger Committee did not try to put 3000 Delta pilots in the bottom 4000 spots on the new list.

Truth : They made multiple proposals with that very outcome.

Ken Watts has never tried to apologize for his false statements, nor has he ever tried to correct the record. If he is not embarrassed about this, then there is little I can say about him that would embarrass me. Whatever his record is with the NWA pilots, his record with the DAL pilots is one of false statement after false statement, along with constantly trying to blame the shortcomings of the NWA MEC on the DAL MEC. Not a great record.

 

New,
From the way you guys are all defending him it sounds like Ken is indeed a stand-up guy. Good guys however, are capable of making mistakes also. Then again, maybe he is 100% correct but there might have been better ways to address it. Maybe taking everything into account this was strategically the best move - the bottom line is I think we are all making a moutain out of a mole hill. Im sure Ken had his reasons just as I am sure DALPA has their reasons for what they do.

Scoop

 

Scoop,

Sounds good. I'll meet you at the Appomattox Courthouse and we'll both keep our swords.

 

Unbelievable.

Carl

 

Believe it.

Ken has a credibility problem and apparently is overwhelmed. I suggest he first try to repair his credibility after this debacle and his less than credible posts on the national forum. He might also consider working under DALPA's CA until he gets a grasp of the contract and can prove himself to be an effective CA for all the Delta pilots.

 

Overwhelmed? Debacle? Prove himself?

Wow, just a little over the top.

I'm done with this thread.