Purple Drank

Where is the explanation for removing Facebook posts you promised us yesterday?

Professor

I just got it a little bit ago, again PD I apologize for the delay. We owe you better and faster communication and transparency. And we are working on that.

Prof.

///////

DALPA Statement on Facebook comments:
As the time for a vote by the representatives of the Delta MEC drew closer, we chose to block comments on our Facebook page. The MEC has since voted to pass the tentative agreement (TA) - and the ultimate decision - on to the Delta pilots who have more skin in the game than anyone else.
We understand the frustrations of those whose comments were temporarily blocked. We undertook this action while the MEC was actively considering the TA in open session prior to a vote, and decided that the best use of our Facebook page was as a source of factual material related to the TA.
Now that the decision belongs to the pilots, a majority of whom will decide the future of our union, your comments are not only welcomed, they are encouraged. Thank you for your patience; we encourage all Delta pilots to carefully study the TA, attend a roadshow, participate in a webinar, and get answers to their questions before voting upon the TA. Now that the process has moved on to member ratification, all members will have the opportunity to voice their questions and concerns.

EdGrimley

To those hiding behind "Tim is DPA" excuse to not make a change...

Where's the outrage when it comes to things ten times worse at DALPA than anything Tim has every said or done?? Ignoring pilot input whether it be throwing pilot survey results in the waste bin (don't waste your breath telling me I don't know that because I haven't seen the survey ALPA wont share...that BS talking point has run its course). Shutting down the DALPA message board, censoring the Delta MEC Facebook page by removing hundreds of posts, DALPA reps ignoring their constituents in an attempt to steamroller a POS TA forward with slight of hand and a FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, DOUBT campaign! In some countries this activity would be considered treason and get you hanged, drawn and quartered. Clearly, DALPA has shown through their actions, they neither want nor care what the membership has to say. It's top down politics at it's worst!

Most of what I have seen from DPA has been a passionate attempt to get pilots represented again with accountability (block representation, easier to kick out reps who get in bed with management, vote for your union president, cut waist such as $30,000 ALPA oil paintings and free liquor and pricey hotels for those who clearly do not answer to the dues paying membership).

Again, where is the outrage when it comes to the outlandish sins committed by DALPA?? You try to smear Tim's name telling us he's just a disgruntled NWA guy who lost seniority BS. Tim is a freaking saint compared to some of the DALPA insiders who brought us this TA. Please show some willingness to examine the mote in your own eye (DALPA) before trying to remove from another who would likely serve this pilot group much better. All that said, Tim has stated repeatedly, and it's in the Delta Pilots Association bylaws, the membership will directly elect their leadership. Tim will not be elected. End of story.

Flying Elvis

First, I'm not going to join into the chorus of denigrating the character of union reps - whether they voted yes or no - though disappointed with the vote, I'm going to trust that they did what they thought was right. Now it's our turn to address the facts, with facts and without invective.

Here's my take on what I believe to be the worst part of the TA (followed closely by the JV concessions), LCA bidding changes.

I know a lot of people are thinking that the LCA bidding concession only affects a few fat cats at the top of the FO feeding chain.

Actually, that is incorrect. Top 2% FOs are the ones who will be affected least.

Imagine a hypothetical and oversimplified aircraft/base combo, where there are 100 capts and 100 F/Os. Slightly understaffed, there are 7,200 hours to fill this month, and with an 80 hour ALV, that works out to 90 regular lines and 10 reserve lines. Because it’s oversimplified, every pilot in category puts a 3 line bid in PBS for trips: 1) Award LCA, 2) Award “Best” trips available, 3) Award Reserve. There are 720 hours to be flown in OE this month (conservative in the current environment) 10 LCAs in category.

Under C2012, we could expect that the top 10 FOs would get LCA lines. Because they’d pull these out of the middle of the pack, that would effectively give all other FOs a 10% bonus in bidding power, i.e. FO#11 would get the #1 most desirable line… and so-on. FOs 91-100 get reserve. During the month, those top 10 FO’s pick up most of the trips that make it past the reserves as green slips, but a few greenies trickle down to the middle of the FO pack.

However, under TA15, all but 180 hrs of OE would be blocked from bidding. What happens now? Well, for the top 2 FOs, it doesn’t affect them much. They still are awarded pure LCA lines. #3 gobbles up the last 4-day LCA trip, and fills the rest of his line with the most desirable trips. #4-10 now get regular lines - taking the ones that the FOs behind them would normally have gotten. This trickles down the line, with each FO essentially being bumped down in bidding power by about 7 positions. In other words, FO #25 now gets the line that FO#32 would have gotten under C2012.

Oh, and FOs 83-90, instead of being lineholders, now join the other 10 junior FOs on reserve. And most of those open trips get picked up before anyone gets a chance to pick them up as green slips (and of course, the top FOs get first dibs).

So pretty much every FO except the top 2% lose QOL, and many lose money as well.

But junior Capts, don’t worry, you don’t get left out either. FOs #15-20 had been planning to bid over to your category in the next AE, and they’re junior to you, so that doesn’t affect you. However, now that TA15 is law of the land and greenies are no longer, FOs #3-8 decide that they’d rather make Capt pay, and they bid over. Sure enough, three of them are senior to you. This phenomenon affects WB FOs as well.

Who isn’t affected by this? Senior Captains. I guess we have to count on your sense of unity to help keep this from negatively impacting your fellow pilots. And if that doesn't do it, the JV concessions should.

Flamer

Watch winding time is over. We are on our way to min uncontrollable ejection altitude.

Denny Crane

A little analysis looking at C2015 strictly from a pay stand point between now and 1/1/2017 (18 months):

1. Only 8% pay raise. 6% offset by profit sharing.
2. My guess is that 3.b.4 (me too) will be triggered some time by 1/1/17 and provide us with, say 3% so we are now down to 5%.
3. Joint venture will have to be grieved again and, if the last settlement is any indication, we'll get about a percent out of that so down to 4% over the next year and a half.
4. The redefinition of PTIX will probably cost us another percent in profit sharing so now we are down to 3% for the next 18 months.

FAIL

Denny

EdGrimley

I realize you are just "the messenger" delivering this response letter. That said, DALPA attempting to justify pilot censorship during a critical time of decision making for our reps when they absolutely should be receiving our feedback in all forms, is total bunk. DALPA locked pilots away from the information for weeks/months (due to "NDA requirements") then rushed this to a vote, giving very little time for pilots to communicate feelings about what they read. Censoring pilot feedback to control the message and affect pilot/rep sentiment at any time is unacceptable.

Either you are going to operate as a bottom up organization allowing open, two way communication (not just delivering what you feel is important) with your membership at all times or you are not a democracy. DALPA lost their way and their credibility. There is no justifiable reason for smothering pilot input as has occurred.

DALPA, would have been better served apologizing for the censorship mistake and promising this will never happen again. They did not and have a recent history of NEVER owning up to mistakes and certainly aren't interested in giving up control (including their cleverly crafted message). What a sham.

Pilotfo64

May I use this elsewhere?

Airbusdude14

June 11, 2015
(pdf is attached as a viewing option)

Contract 2015 Chairman’s Update #1

Fellow pilots of Council 66,

The MEC voted on the TA in open session yesterday in Atlanta. As you may know by now, the result of the TA vote was 11 for and 8 against. Both NYC reps voted against the TA. It will now proceed to membership ratification, where you will be the final arbiters. More on that soon.

Below is a transcript of the speech that I made to the MEC yesterday during open session. This will provide you a brief look at my reasoning for voting “No.” I recognize that there is a thirst for information, and we will follow up very shortly with more background for you. In addition to information from your reps, you can count on the Delta MEC administration to provide you with a wealth of information at https://dal.alpa.org. As always, feel free to reach out to me, Chris, or Dave, with your thoughts and concerns.

“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the MEC, and MEC administration,

“I would like to thank the negotiators, the MEC administration, the attorneys, subject-matter experts, and everyone involved in the effort put forth thus far in crafting the TA before us.

“Never in the last 42 years that I have been piloting commercial aircraft have I witnessed a greater spread between the economic climate in which we found ourselves and the resulting agreement. And, that most certainly includes our pre- and post-bankruptcy concessionary contracts.

“We are highly skilled, mission-oriented pilots. We are, in my estimation and the company’s as well, the finest pilots on the planet. Our hard work should be rewarding us, not demanding that we be granting the company relief. We have before us the best negotiating environment in our careers; multiple record-breaking profits; incredibly high load factors. The timing is right for an historic contract. We raised expectations, sure, in our opener and in our communications—are we guilty of over-promising and under-delivering? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

“The pilots of Delta Air Lines have spoken loudly to us—in crew lounges, at meetings, in multiple surveys and out flying the line. These pilots have given greatly to save this airline, and they have told us loud and clear that now is the time for payback.

“But perhaps we are missing the point.

“This agreement isn’t about money or scope or sick leave. This agreement is about respect. Respect from the company and self-respect for ourselves. Agreeing to this TA means we accept the notion that management has little respect for our past sacrifices and the professional job we do day in and day out. Agreeing to this TA means we have lost our own self-respect for our skills and dedication. We will chase a pay rate, and abandon benefits and quality of life, just to get to that shiny number. And frankly, the pay rate ain’t all that shiny.

“Look closely at this agreement. The devil is in the details.

“With great thanks for all those involved in its crafting, my belief is that accepting a TA that is marginal at best will haunt us for years to come. It’s time we stopped bluffing. Management has overreached, and we must not validate their overreach. In good faith to both the pilots I represent and all the pilots of Delta Air Lines, I must vote ‘No’ on this TA.

“I vowed to follow a clear process from the start. In keeping with that promise, I can’t accept a TA that clearly does not meet the mandate of this pilot group. The pilots’ mandate and the direction given to the negotiators never included making drastic sacrifices to important sections of our contract during such prosperous times.

“For those around the horseshoe who want to reject it but plan to pass it along to the pilots to ‘let them decide,’ I ask, ‘What purpose do you serve? Why have an MEC?’

“This body’s credibility is at stake every time we forward a TA to our fellow pilots. We are the first arbiters after the negotiators and must not abdicate our solemn duty.

“This TA should sell itself, and common sense says it cannot. It under-delivers. It would take a full court press, with a very slim chance of getting this thing across the finish line. It shouldn’t be so. It must not be so.

“Thank you for the privilege of addressing you.”

Respectfully,


Chairman
Council 66
[email]

“Member Driven”







Air Line Pilots Association, International
ALPA - Home

Airbusdude14

I sent him a msg thanking him for doing the right thing