UnusualAttitude

Junglebus flies for Compass. I'm not going to post his name because it would be a breach of privacy but I think it should be mentioned that there are different approaches to thinking and attitudes within the ranks of the CP flow-through pilots.

The facts are what they are. The average CP pilot has seen quality of life declining over the last 24 months give or take. After CP was sold to TSA in 2010 we saw very little in the way of changes. Our management was generally left to run the airline as it had been running before the purchase. Don't get me wrong, it was still a typical regional in many ways but there wasn't an adversarial attitude between management and the pilot group. As TSA has become more and more involved with the day to day operation a much more hostile work environment has begun to appear. I will not elaborate on this publicly. We are in the very early stages of our own contract negotiations and I believe that TSA managements approach is to attack pilots as part of this process and we have started seeing those attacks. It is unlike anything that I have ever personally experienced until now.

All of that being said, how does this effect a CP flow-through pilot's view of the Delta TA?

There is certainly a desire to see Delta begin hiring. I would guess that around 85-90 percent of the flow-through pilots are committed to a career at Delta. This group will simply wait for the call from Atlanta and won't complete applications to other carriers.

CP PILOTS WHO HATE THE TA: As things decline at CP our pilots are becoming impatient. Many pilots would have preferred an agreement that left DL understaffed and in immediate need for more pilots. These pilots saw the scope changes as a loss. Many felt like some of you did that the 50 seat jet was going away with or without a TA that forced their removal from the system. Some thought that DALPA should have attempted to recapture 70/76 seat flying and anything less was a loss that took away from additional mainline jobs. We have received mixed signals this year from our management as far as what to expect in the way of CP pilots flowing to DL. In fact our System Chief Pilot even sent an email early in the year saying that DL had indicated to CP management that we should expect maximum flow though in 2012 (that is 25% of our seniority list). It seems that this isn't likely.

CP PILOTS WHO LIKED THE TA (ME): There are also pilots with slightly more patience. I think that I am in that category. Don't get me wrong, I am ready to move forward in my career and I am enjoying my job less and less as TSA management has it's way with us. However, I supported Delta pilots and commented that had I been on property at the time of the vote I would have been in favor of the TA. I stand by that statement. I have many years remaining in this career and I think that the TA sets Delta and DAL pilots up for success in the long run and to ME that is what is most important. It may mean that I get to DL a year later than I possibly would have (impossible to say) but I believe it means that my career will be better in the long run. I am a realist and 70/76 seat jets at Delta are over. Scope recapture isn't going to happen anytime soon. When you release a segment of business from your scope of work in your contract it is nearly impossible to recapture it. So my viewpoint was that of a yes voter: Make the most of what you have and increase quality of life for DELTA PILOTS. It may mean I spend an extra year on the outside but I will spend vastly more years flying for DL than for CP regardless. Anyhow, I am rambling.

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In the meantime there is nothing we (CP) can do about it. The TA has been signed and is a reality. The call from DL will come when it comes. The best thing that we can do is try and do our best to run our operation in a way that makes DAL look good and saves them money. Pilots are in a much better position when negotiating with a profitable company than one losing money so I'll do what little part I can to try and save what I can.

Junglebus is a great guy but I cannot speak for him and in fact I disagree with him on some of these issues. He may say that all of his viewpoints are rooted in principle but I believe a lot of it has to do with wanting to get across the terminal ASAP. I'll have to let him respond.

UA

UnusualAttitude

Is "entitlements" in reference to the attitude of certain flow-through pilots or just flow-through pilots in general?

capncrunch

Great post UA!

I look forward to the day when our huge retirements kick in, hiring is on full tilt and our voting ranks shift.

Bucking Bar

Saw pilots interviewing in Delta's Pilot Recruitment today. Dressed in the Delta standard blue suit & red tie. Wished 'em luck and asked who they were interviewing with. They reported Expressjet holds interviews in Delta's General Offices.

Not surprising since Emirates uses our new 777 sim to evaluate their hires (several of whom are from Delta).

For a second there, I thought there was going to be some great news to report. ... Not yet ... .

trlaketige

Some thought that DALPA should have attempted to recapture 70/76 seat flying and anything less was a loss that took away from additional mainline jobs.



So, the pilots who obtained their jobs when Mainline gave up scope, now think we should recapture it so they can have a better job. Would they be happy if they lost their job because of scope recapture. How long would you accept being out of work in order for Mainline to retake your job?

DALPA negotiates for Delta Pilots, not UAL, AA, US, Gojets, PCL, Comair, or anyone else. If you don't like our contract, get hired at Delta and elected to a union position and change it.

Back to lurking.

Tr


UnusualAttitude, I was not shooting at you and didn't mean to give that impression.

UnusualAttitude

Didn't take it that way. I believe that you and I are in agreement!

slowplay

Everyone is an individual...

johnso29

I really wonder if you're gullible enough to think the recently ratified TA has anything to do with the current stagnation.

acl65pilot

It has little to do with it but the TA will result in fewer pilots needed per the block plan when we do increase block hrs.

Right now the work rule language does not help us and we really cannot see its result in staffing, because the economy overshadows everything. When the economy improves in some distant date, we will be more efficient as a whole because each pilot will be flying slightly more time than they did prior to the agreement. As long as DAL holds the carrying costs on the WB jets and the down bidding occurs on the 767 and below there will be little sympathy for anyone. Given when hiring will occur the pilots hired in 2001 and later will be the ones that may see the displacements to staff the initial 739's and 717's. After that, retirements will kick in and new hires will be needed as the 717's and retirements drive hiring.

We bought it and it's our PWA. Time to look at what you want going forward and what changes, if any need to be made to get it. What we have is what we have until we can improve it.

Purple Drank

Perhaps not the current stagnation.

The question is, are you gullible enough to think that this contract doesn't significantly slow down our careers (vs. the previous version)?