Originally Posted by DLpilot

Do you remember how quick you were done on day 2? Just trying to plan my flight home.

Originally Posted by Timbo

When you sit down for the oral, just give him the APC Secret Handshake, you'll be out of there toot-sweet, and home in time for dinner!

Originally Posted by bucking bar

does her last name make the apc secret handshake ironic; or more appropriate?

Originally Posted by UncleSam

Hey Buzz,

You don't have to print that out anymore. I just did CQ and no one ever asked for that info. Just your license, medical & radio op certificate. Didn't ask for passport either. The medical info is under Personel | Qualifications and the certificate info is under Personnel | Personnel Data.

Good review of reasons to abort or not to abort and a drill with O2 masks on doing an emerg descent. Day two is very simple. Have fun.

Originally Posted by shiznit

I am using $0.50 of my Jan. 1, 2013 $8.62 raise to make sure I'm part of the President's Club level of the PAC also.

I loathe that money is part of the political reality, but I accept that and will do my part.

It is 0.43% percent of my rate, and I'm junior.
It is 0.34% of a 12 yr ER First Officer.
It is 0.23% of an ER Captain.

The President's Club (the top level), is only $21.00/paycheck.

The most junior pilot on the list is getting a raise of AT LEAST a $300 bump per paycheck starting Jan. 1. It isn't too much to ask to give us a stronger voice in D.C.

Originally Posted by acl65pilot

Very true, and I will be donating the 21.00 per pay period next year. This year I was at the 250 mark. Well worth the money given what they have tackled the last few years.

Speaking of which. Anyone who reads this post also needs to do the "Call to Action" on the Abu Dabi CPB Pre-clear point. C44 has sent out some excellent background on it and why it is really really bad for not just Delta Pilots, but all US based pilots. (No US carrier flies there)

Currently less than 15% of the pilot group has filled this "Call To Action" out. Please take two minutes and send President Obama a letter.

To make it easy, here is the link!
http://www.alpa.org/ALPADeptInfoPage...4/Default.aspx

Originally Posted by Bucking Bar

Does her last name make the APC Secret Handshake ironic; or more appropriate?

Originally Posted by Roadkill

... was surprised on the Call to Action, it only gave me the option to email Barack, not my local 3 guys? Putzed all around the site, could never get them to show, is their something different about this pre-clearance thing that only Barack gets emailed?

Originally Posted by Bucking Bar

Well stated. I've been in contact with my Reps.

It has been a concern that the renegotiation of the Air France JV, allowing a three year measurement period, was ripe for non compliance followed by renegotiation. Our percentage of flying has dropped below 45% in some months and we have a deficit in our percentage which appears unlikely to be made up. ALPA and Delta will point at Air France and state "isn't our fault, Air France hasn't played nice on capacity reduction." At which point we need to remind anyone who will listen that Delta is in fact paying for it's share of the operation of those JV Air France operations. We can not let Air France's over optimistic wide body order book drive non compliance with our contract.*

( In my view, Delta could withhold payment and blame it's labor contract. In as much as Delta writes the checks, it is consenting to the EASK deficit. )

If we renegotiate the Atlantic JV to add Virgin, do we start with our 50%, or the diminished number we are actually flying? Do we pull out UK flying, which is a stable source of block hours for us?

As we look at a pull down of Atlanta 767 flying in this next bid, the choice is very relevant. It would be preferable for there to be 7ER jobs for these pilots rather than a cascade of displacements into narrow body equipment. A lot hinges on Atlantic block hours.

I asked my Reps for the following:

• Maintain at a minimum contracted flying percentages
• Tighten the measurement period to a rolling 12 month average
• Tighten the cure to a rolling 12 month average
• Consider punitive penalties for non compliance which equal or exceed the cost to the entire seniority list for the loss of each Widebody Captain position

Notes:
* Delta is not technically in non compliance, yet. But, Delta would have to increase to around 56% to get back into compliance, which appears unlikely.

This is not posted to be critical of our MEC, or management. Rather, Air France is the primary culprit. As labor, our #1 task is to protect our jobs. It is not an easy task. International agreements are magnitudes more complex than RJ scope and the control mechanisms are all new, unproven, designs. Even my easy and strong solution of "unity" appears impossible across the divides on cabotage and ownership. We have the right people on the job to give us the best possible solution. We need to remain engaged with our Reps and support them in their efforts on our behalf.