I'm not saying I'm just sitting around and hoping. There aren't many options out there to stay in aviation as we all know, so if you can get out and feel it is necessary, that's your call. I'm just saying that I don't think this company has swirled as far down into the bowl as many would think.

I'm also very aware of how easy it would be for Delta to start shedding all of our aircraft and just shut the place down. However, we still have all the aircraft that we are supposed to according to our contract and our MEC chairman, The furloughs are excessive for just a 3% reduction in flying that happens every year at that time, and I think we are a very valuable asset to Delta. We're here to take up the slack every time someone else screws up with staffing. We are a good airline overall, and when management starts crowing about how expensive we are compared to other airlines based on our crew costs, it makes me sick and I don't believe it for a minute that based on that factor alone, we are not competitive.

 

The union is lying to you again if they are saying that they don't know where the leaflet came from. The leaflet has the Captains name right on it that put it in everyones V-file. Ask the ALPA reps about this new "Jets-for-Jobs" provision that they have already placed into operation that will keep you on the street and make it to where you possibly never receive a callback.

Would you guys be happy with this? Say Delta Furloughs, even if Comair guys are furloughed, the Delta guys would get Comair jobs in the most senior aircraft on the property. The flip side they will bribe you with is that you get a flow through into Delta. Well, Compass already has a flow through, so they would be called before you. Not sure about Mesaba, buy they might get flow through before you as well. It's a bad idea. Don't you just love how "My MEC speaks for me," yet we were never even consulted.

 

Sadly enough, I just had to rip that dam sticker off my flight case about a year ago.

 

Like I've been saying, the MEC only speaks for a small minority that makes decisions for the huge majority, with no regard how it will effect the bottom half of the seniority list. I really hope that the harsh reality of the recent turn of events causes people to wake up and take control of their career at Comair and stand up against what is clearly wrong with how this MEC conducts themselves.

 

Of course they are interested in the most senior. Dues are based on a % of pay.

 

I don't necessarily agree with this statement. How does a senior pilot paying the same percentage of pay make him/her more influential in what the union decides to make a priority? They only get one vote and they can't stop their dues payment to the union.

We have some guys in the union that are facing furlough too. It's not an elite club of super senior captains that are conspiring against the junior guys.

I don't agree with everything the union is doing, but they are our only voice against the company at the moment. Anyone here during the strike realizes the benefits of supporting our union and sticking together as one voice. If you want the union changed, participate in the vote and the process will find our new leaders.

 

Turbodog, is the leaflet you are talking about produced by the Union trying to sell the idea of a flowthrough agreement? I have not been to ops for a long time and have not seen it yet. If you can, please PM me more info about it.

I'm with you ragarding the union, they are not helping us in anyway. But at the same time, us as a pilot group are not doing our job to protect our self because we are not voting during the union elections. I looked at the results of the elections for the last union rep, only five people voted for him, none for the other guy. I'm sure he only got the votes of his friends. We need to everything possible to vote people that we think will work hard to save the jobs of our pilot group.

 

I would not compare our MEC now with the MEC during the strike. They have nothing to do with each other. Our MEC now is shortsighted, and just like our company, wants to benefit a small group of people not the whole pilot group. The MEC have a personal vendetta against DS and the management team. That is not a benefit for us. When you negotiate with someone, it’s a give and take game. You have to be fixable to obtain what you want.

 

This sounds like something the Delta MEC would come up with in order to... as one would say; wipe the slate clean for JC Lawson's opposition against hiring furloughed Delta pilots with their seniority numbers intact.

 

Im not sure if this would be good or bad for us.