Purple Drank

I can understand how my post could be taken as a slight against individual volunteers giving their time with no monetary compensation, and that was not my intent.

My intent was to bash the institutional inertia that seeks primarily to protect, grow, and insulate the bureaucracy; and to call out the paid, non-elected (and often, non-flying) functionaries that, whether intentionally or not, place the health of the bureaucracy ahead of Delta line pilots' best interests.

We both know what I'm talking about.

As for some "constructive criticism," well, as GG and schwanker said: publish some concrete, definable goals. And as many, many of us have said: release the survey results. Show some leadership; embrace the chance to display accountability; make a meaningful, concerted effort to earn back badly shaken trust.

Elliot

Where in my post did I suggest he was stating the DPA was a better alternative?

Read what Leine wrote. People are sick of his insults & wise-cracks from the sidelines.

Bucking Bar

Sounds so simple, eh?

You are encouraged to employ Google and read up on the National Mediation Board, the Railway Labor Act, the procedures and the methods used to negotiate our contract.

Also, I would point out that C2012 actually met or exceeded your stated goals in every area, but one.

As you read up on the legal environment we must operate under, you will come to the realization that stating objective goals in public as you suggest could be very counter productive to reaching those goals. In the most simple terms the process of mediation implies meeting in the middle. If you state your goals you've actually just set your ceiling. Management will then rest the floor lower ... when they meet you "half way" then you've lost. ... and Purple Drank would constantly remind you how you fell short.

Sounds simple, but publishing is a really lousy strategy. We can get into this in greater depth if you want, but off the cuff:

• Sets a ceiling over pilots
• Mid point can be reset lower by management
• Sets expectations by membership
• NMB might find bad faith for refusal to negotiate from your published goals
• Pilots likely to argue over published goals (think the goals are too much X and not enough Y)
• Goals may need to change as a result of an external factor (FAR117 for instance)

scambo1

That would be like showing your hand at poker, or some BS like that.

You are never going to see measureable goals from our union. Only they can lose with them.

Bucking Bar

Purple,

You are encouraged to attend a training PUB event, or even better the Atlanta N PUB at the 57th Fighter Group on 3 May at 14:00. You might have a different perspective if you listened to and engaged our MEC's Admin and Leadership. You might gain some insight as to the depth of knowledge and experience some of these pilots have.

Your "bureaucratic inertia" is another person's "jesh, we negotiated >8% more than our peers when we did Contract 2012 ... lets stick with what works." Is it enough? Will it ever be enough? We will always want and try to get, more.

I'm going to try and refrain from insulting you in the fashion that you insult so many who work for you. Rather, you are encouraged to learn, even gain experience if you want to pitch in and help.

Purple Drank

I attend LEC meetings regularly.

The company's making record profits. We managed to negotiate a "bankruptcy plus" contract...after giving up work rules to get the "plus."

I'm sure I'd be impressed by "depth of knowledge and experience some of these pilots have." I'd be more impressed with some results.

Let's start with 117 negotiations.

Alan Shore

Not at all, and I see us as having both.

As I understand it, the goals of our MEC are, "To engage anywhere necessary to address opportunities and threats; always protecting and advancing Delta pilot careers, pay, working conditions, benefits and job security."

Accountability is ever-present in the fact that our reps are up for re-election every three years and that they appear before us at least every quarter at LEC meetings to report on their activities and to take our input and our criticism.

Bucking Bar

Reminds me of ...



Jump to 1:30

When you are getting your Chunky Monkey on, she likes to spoon, but I wanna fork.

poostain

How do we figure how many Reserve days we are on the hook for in a vacation month? Example 14 days vacation= _?_ reserve days owed.

Alan Shore

That would be bankruptcy plus about 50%. And we'll have to disagree about whether we gave up work rules, given that reserve guarantee went up by an average of 4.6 hours along with days off, vacation and CQ training pay went up, we got "blockholder without a block guarantee back."

Granted a reserve pilot who is not full may be assigned flying up to ALV +15, but he is now full as the same or a lower point. Are you saying there is more that we gave up?