I know I have been out of the US aviation scene for a while but, since when any of those agreements means anything? I am yet to see a feeder contract that doesn't have some sort of provision for the mainline carrier to get out of it.

 

I think this is a lose/lose situation for everyone in the regional industry. I don't blame the PNCL pilots. I won't tell them how to vote. I want it voted down however. I believe what delta wants delta gets but maybe it is not that simple. So I want to see plan B. Again this is not my fight but I lose sleep at night thinking about how this will affect the rest of us and it will I assure you that. Selling out to delta never ever turns out the way you think it will. Trust on this. It will not turn out the way you think. Good luck with this tough decision, I mean that. If you lose you job it is not the end of the world. You will land on your feet again and things will be OK in the end. Last thought for now, delta does not care about you and does not have your best intentions in mind.

 

Ditto.....my sentiments exactly. Well said.

 

Speaking of Delta not caring about us and the rest.... What really cracks me up is how many of our pilots walking around with Delta ID lanyards, Delta DTW crew tags, Delta stickers on their bags.
Walking through the airport I rarely see other regionals covered in their mainline partners crap.
Oh in ATL we actually had people putting gold buttons on their jackets.

People Delta doesn't care if you have kids and you lose your job and can't feed them. Yet your a walking billboard for them and don't even work there.
Classic.

 

While I give you that, Per ALPA lead counsel the language is as clad as any legal language can be.

 

Gold buttons! That's even funnier than the upside down epaulets! Man I would laugh if I saw that.

 

I like that. It's like they are wearing a hired not acquired properly screened delta professional starter kit. Someday they will be arrogant just like they are.

 

In all fairness, it is not the job of the company to "take care of" or guarantee any quality of life to employees. The job of a company is to make money and make as large of profits as possible for its shareholders.

I am from Comair and yes it sucks to be out of a job; however, it's not Delta's responsibility to provide for my children. They look at the bottom line... if they can get cheaper labor elsewhere, they take it. That is how it works in nearly EVERY company across the globe. Whether it's an IT company outsourcing their call-center to India, Apple manufacturing phones in China, Ford building engine components in Mexico, every company looks at outsourcing and minimizing labor costs as much as possible.

Does that mean we might like it? No, not really, especially when we are on the short end of the straw. But that is the way a capitalistic economy works to maximize profits.

At the end of the day we have a choice, either continue in this profession fully understanding that any CBA signed can easily be circumvented in court, either via bankruptcy or various loopholes, or look to take our skills elsewhere.

Actually, leaving Comair was the best thing that happened to me. I have now gotten out of the airline industry after exploring some international options and now am actually utilizing my degree managing an office environment and doing private piloting on the side.

No company really cares if you lose a job and can't feed your kids. That doesn't necessarily mean the people within the company don't care though. I have been on both sides of the aisle, being told that I was out of a job and having to tell others that they are and believe me, 99% of the people having to give that message to employees dread it as it isn't a good feeling. Even when you fire someone for poor performance or a major violation, it still sucks as you know it is greatly impacting their life.

Like it or not, it's just business, and good business, in a capitalistic economy. Ultimately we have to understand that we don't run the airlines, but rather the airlines run us. What the airlines want, in the end they will get.

 

Mabey that was to hard on the delta boys. They have been alright to me. Back to the topic.

 

CA rates do not reset to year 1 for upgrades. You will hear a lot of misinformation directed towards low-information pinnacle voters or pilots of other airlines in an attempt to suit agendas one way or another.