Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
02-22-2010, 07:06 AM
Happy to be here
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
I agree. But, there's a big difference between management and pilots. Management can vote themselves huge bonuses, rape the company and run it into the ground, and then bail out and go elsewhere. They are only limited by their individual talents and ability to sell themselves in the open market place.
We as pilots decided many years ago to abandon that approach. Instead our careers, and our fortunes, are tied to a seniority list, which in turn is tied to the fortunes of an individual company. This made sense during the regulated era as bankruptcies were rare, but since deregulation has been an abysmal failure.
Now, without any type of portable seniority, we are the only (relatively) well paid group tied to our own company. When the company fails, we fail, and get to choose starting all over in the profession we know, or abandoning it and starting all over in a new profession. Two lousy choices. That is why, absent change, DALPA recognizes that for its pilots to be successful, ultimately DAL must be successful. Dubinsky's choke the golden goose philosophy doesn't work in the modern environment.
Furthermore, while we may have become "too big to fail", we have also become "too big to strike". I don't see ANY President ever permitting another nationwide strike by a carrier of our size. The deck is stacked as deeply against labor as I've ever seen it in my 20+ years in the industry. As a result, we have virtually no tools left. We should be expending our resources on changing the RLA so as to level the playing field, but I don't see much movement in that direction. Instead, again as DALPA recognizes, our best hope is to have a wildly profitable company, as that is the best chance that they will throw us a few morsels come contract time.
We as pilots decided many years ago to abandon that approach. Instead our careers, and our fortunes, are tied to a seniority list, which in turn is tied to the fortunes of an individual company. This made sense during the regulated era as bankruptcies were rare, but since deregulation has been an abysmal failure.
Now, without any type of portable seniority, we are the only (relatively) well paid group tied to our own company. When the company fails, we fail, and get to choose starting all over in the profession we know, or abandoning it and starting all over in a new profession. Two lousy choices. That is why, absent change, DALPA recognizes that for its pilots to be successful, ultimately DAL must be successful. Dubinsky's choke the golden goose philosophy doesn't work in the modern environment.
Furthermore, while we may have become "too big to fail", we have also become "too big to strike". I don't see ANY President ever permitting another nationwide strike by a carrier of our size. The deck is stacked as deeply against labor as I've ever seen it in my 20+ years in the industry. As a result, we have virtually no tools left. We should be expending our resources on changing the RLA so as to level the playing field, but I don't see much movement in that direction. Instead, again as DALPA recognizes, our best hope is to have a wildly profitable company, as that is the best chance that they will throw us a few morsels come contract time.
Not even sure the RLA is the defacto issue. IMO, it starts with the NMB and there total lack of desire from external forces to declare an impasse. I mean, come on. Five years?
That needs to be restructured to a starting clock as soon as mediation is started. 12-no more than 18 months. After that self help. We need to take the politicians out of it. Put absolutes in it.
Make the NMB has drop dead gates. They can and have failed at their job too.
If these new procedures do not work, the it is time to rebuild a new RLA.
I get the whole, aviation is the medium in which comerce transpires and we need to be seen as a constant, but to me that is just another form of regulation in different clothing. You want to guarantee service, then guarantee the safety of your "free market" regulated to the tilt industry, and make sure that the airlines are forced to pay the wages that attract those that will make it safe.
Doesn't sound to free to me, but this half baked attempt at a free market, is not working. As a result you are getting depressed wages as a way to pass the cost along to the employee because the consumer of the service refuses to pay. Why? Because everyone loves low cost, but has failed to realize that low cost is equating to marginalized safety and a redirection of the talent in to this industry.
I have always though that if they are going to keep doing business as usual that they better hurry up with before I am too old to retool.
02-22-2010, 07:08 AM
Happy to be here
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
I agree that we are seen as too big to strike. Major issue with long term attraction of the best and brightest to your company. I think that describes almost any airline these days. They do not want anyone to be inconvenienced except the employees.
02-22-2010, 07:13 AM
veut gagner à la loterie
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: Light Chop
Posts: 23,286
Doesn't sound to free to me, but this half baked attempt at a free market, is not working. As a result you are getting depressed wages as a way to pass the cost along to the employee because the consumer of the service refuses to pay. Why? Because everyone loves low cost, but has failed to realize that low cost is equating to marginalized safety and a redirection of the talent in to this industry.
I have always though that if they are going to keep doing business as usual that they better hurry up with before I am too old to retool.
I have always though that if they are going to keep doing business as usual that they better hurry up with before I am too old to retool.
02-22-2010, 07:17 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: SLC ERB
Posts: 467
02-22-2010, 07:28 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,462
Its a good thing that we don't have a free market competitive system in this country then. I say this only slightly tongue in cheek since we really don't have a free market system in this country. Just ask the DOT; their ruling on the LGA/DCA thing is a perfect example.
02-22-2010, 07:31 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,462
PG;
Not even sure the RLA is the defacto issue. IMO, it starts with the NMB and there total lack of desire from external forces to declare an impasse. I mean, come on. Five years?
That needs to be restructured to a starting clock as soon as mediation is started. 12-no more than 18 months. After that self help. We need to take the politicians out of it. Put absolutes in it.
Make the NMB has drop dead gates. They can and have failed at their job too.
If these new procedures do not work, the it is time to rebuild a new RLA.
Not even sure the RLA is the defacto issue. IMO, it starts with the NMB and there total lack of desire from external forces to declare an impasse. I mean, come on. Five years?
That needs to be restructured to a starting clock as soon as mediation is started. 12-no more than 18 months. After that self help. We need to take the politicians out of it. Put absolutes in it.
Make the NMB has drop dead gates. They can and have failed at their job too.
If these new procedures do not work, the it is time to rebuild a new RLA.
02-22-2010, 07:32 AM
Happy to be here
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Sad thing is one of my cousins makes six figures as a waiter as a top end restaurant.
02-22-2010, 07:34 AM
Get's Every Day Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Retired
Posts: 1,860
I also like the P-47 almost as much!
02-22-2010, 08:42 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: DL
Posts: 154
icrew??
I'm trying to move a reserve day under PCS. Why will it only let me enter the day and not the month??? It worked fine last month. Anyone else having this problem?
02-22-2010, 08:59 AM
seeing the large hubs...
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: 73N A
Posts: 3,742
The month is only required if the bid period spans two or more months. Last bid period was Jan 31 - Mar 1, so the month was required for PCS changes. This month, the bid period is all in March, so no month required.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
