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Timbo

After POS 96 passed membership ratification, I was livid. I was on the Pilot to Pilot committee then and had been doing lots of Lounge Visits, trying to tell pilots about all the Crap that was in there. Everyone said they were going to vote NO...but it passed, about 70-30.

I called the DALPA office to scream at someone, John Malone (then the DFW F/O LEC rep) happend to be the poor bast..d that answered the phone that day. After I got through 'venting' he said he agreed with me, it's a POS, and personally he had voted NO to it as well, but he said his home phone had been ringing off the hook, prior to the LEC ratification vote, with guys saying things like,

"You Guys HAVE TO approve this! I just bought a new house (or car, or boat, or what have you) and I can't afford to go out on strike."

He said the "Please don't make us go on strike" calls were three times as many, as the "This thing sucks, vote it down!" calls.

In the end, when I said, "How can guys be so friggn' clueless??" he said, "What did you think that rocking chair was for?"

In the many years since then, after coming to Mecca (when DL closed all the smaller bases, and we all got sent to ATL) I have come to realize, it's a circular argument.

When I ask the MEC members, "How in the Heck did this thing get passed??"

They say, "We didn't have the support of the pilots to turn it down."

And when I ask pilots I fly with, "Well, if you think it sucks, why did you vote Yes for it??"

They always say, "Because the MEC told us to..."

I'll tell you NW guys one thing, when the merger was announced, one of the most often heard comments in the DL South cockpits was, "Finally, we can get some guys with some stones, and vote NO for these POS contracts!"

But have no doubt, anything the MEC ratifies is going to pass the membership, due to the "The MEC told me to" effect. So if you want this thing 'fixed', it has to be done -before- the MEC ratifies it.

NuGuy

I hate being right all the time, when this topic is concerned.

Beware the DALPA mind tricks. The good news is that they only work on the weak minded.

Nu

CVG767A

Exactly. There is no need to panic. Let's see what they bring us, then vote accordingly. Meanwhile, this isn't the time to move to a bigger house, or buy a new car, or buy boat, airplane, or other toy. It's time to amass that emergency fund, if you haven't already done so.

Bucking Bar

True ... But this is a lot like Romney`s campaign. I might have to hold my nose and vote for the right wing socialist over the left wing socialist. Pilots are expressing their displeasure with ALPA, not support for the DPA .

Ferd149

So true. I remember going into the NWA '97 contract, the union was constantly reminding us of this very concept. Unfortunately, it was needed. But, I guess there is no desire to put out "negative waves" during a fast breaking ball game

Guys, I think we are getting into group gloom here. I agree we need to be watchful and keep your rep informed what you think, but geeze, lets wait to see what is really offered. I would suggest we have no clue what the company is trying to get us to take as they are thinking so much further down the road than we are. You know, what do they need from us for the 797.

Good luck to us all, now go stuff some $$$ into the matress

Ferd

Ferd149

Not to get political, cuz I'm not. But I just read a great article about the political climate in the 1850s before the Civil War. One of the items they pointed out was how political parties actually owned and operated their own news papers back then and how people only read stuff that validated their own opinions.

Funny how nothing changes eh?

Ferd

Lysithea25

Sad but true. That's why I chuckle when i read 'if ALPA doesn't fix scope, they're gone' type posts. Maybe, but i highly doubt it. I'm going to photo copy my ballot this time. I don't beleive anyone who says thay voted no anymore.

JungleBus

I dunno, I really can't read Tim O'Malley's letter as any way *but* saying there's a T/A coming down the pike very soon with concessionary scope elements. I agree with the posters that say by the time the T/A is out and approved by the reps, it's too late. You guys really have to preempt this thing, cause such an uproar that the MEC and negotiators go "waaaaiiit a sec, maybe not such a good idea!" If the reaction to Tim's letter is silence, they'll take it as a sign to go ahead.

Group gloom, yeah that's useless, but I wouldn't urge inaction either. The company and MEC already have a big jump on you.

gloopy

There is no viable alternate union option. We have destroyed them.