tsquare

Fair enough. Nice way to start out a new career though. Must suck to be pizzed off before you even walk in the door.

ghilis101

Good to see people participating. If that 15 to 20 percent voter turnout is true I hope that improves across the industry. For those that sit on the sidelines, please get involved. If you're dissatisfied and choose not to get involved, then at least know that your lack of involvement should be taken into consideration before you complain about the volunteers who work for you.

JungleBus

Well besides potential future employment status that 80kts alluded to....I'm a current member of ALPA and anticipate being a member of ALPA for my whole career, and feel that a functional, transparent, and responsive ALPA is in my best interest. I see the DPA as very inferior to my theoretical functional, transparent, and responsive ALPA - and the D-ALPA establishment seems to be bringing DPA closer to reality with every misstep, particularly this coup against a MEC chair who had begun to embrace transparency and responsiveness.

So you can say it's not my business because I don't fall under your particular MEC...but isn't that an argument against a national union and for DPA!?

JungleBus

Who's pizzed off? I'm disappointed by the recent coup, I had felt D-ALPA was moving in the right direction before that...but hardly pizzed off. I'm absolutely delighted to be heading to DAL & I can't wait to fly with ya'll.

80ktsClamp

So someone that disagrees with you is automatically categorized as "pizzed off?"

NERD

I agree totally. Post vote, I told our resident junior rep that I disagree with his vote. I also told him I am done with trying to defend alpa. In the past I naively believed we could vote in change with more guys like him and AA in Seattle. I still think that is the better plan, however not attainable unless more people bother to vote against the entrenched machine. 20% participation is pathetic. I'm not personally ready to back dpa, but done trying to defend alpa. Just wish the dpa would change who is their leadership or face so to speak. They are gaining ground based on the disgusting behavior of the entrenched, not their plan or leadership. Dalpa is in serious need of a colon cleanse and only our vote can do it. This letter above is proof positive.

DAL 88 Driver

Yes it is. This is exactly the kind of thing that has been going on behind our backs for years in DALPA. It's a hopeless mess that needs to be condemned, not a "fixer upper."

I somewhat agree with you about "the face" of DPA. Overall, I think he's done a pretty good job of being professional (since founding DPA) and I think he's got the right idea. Unfortunately, he has a tarnished reputation that is sometimes not helpful to the effort, and he's made some missteps in some of the things he has written. The thing I think people need to remember is that TC has clearly stated that he is not interested in running DPA post election.

To me, what is important to consider is the concept of replacing a very much broken beyond repair ALPA with an independent pilot's union representing only Delta pilots. No guarantees, but I think that outcome has much greater potential to get this pilot group back on a track for restoration of this profession and our careers.

Bucking Bar

TSquare,

The enormous disconnect the "old guard" will have with our new pilots is that the new guys:

(1) Understand ALPA works for them
(2) If condition 1 is not met, they get involved to change it
(3) What you call "pizzed off" is what I would call engaged

... most importantly ....

(4) Lets be frank. The "DPA" is the reincarnation of the "Comair" scarecrow by the same politicians who used the politics of divisiveness ... establishing an external threat ... as a substitute for unity. Those of us who have been targeted by these men (former express pilots) see their actions from an entirely different perspective despite the fact we sit only three feet to your right at work every day. Expect former targets who are now voting Delta pilots to react negatively to the sort of politics exemplified here.

The irony is, these politicians are targeting their own supporters. Those of us who believe in ALPA, who vote in our elections, who understand how critical ALPA and even Lee Moak's mission is in Washington DC. For example, it would be mutually beneficial to lift restrictions on LGA which would allow Delta to really hub there. We need our team to pull that off.

D-ALPA is not these dozen or so political operatives from the Moak Dynasty. D-ALPA is the 700 volunteers who do the daily work of helping other pilots. D-ALPA is every dues paying Delta pilot. D-ALPA is the line guy.

I am mystified why the "old guard" is so short sighted.

LeineLodge

Is there some reason they're not doing that already?

The problem is, and would be with DPA as well, that guys just don't show up. They want to abdicate their right/responsibility to others, won't take the time to show up, but then complain when the "old guard" stays "entrenched." Just sending in a DPA card, or voting DPA in, if it ever comes to that, IS NOT ENOUGH. Nothing will change without pilot involvement. We apparently already have what we want, because guys aren't really unhappy enough with the status quo to attend meetings, vote in LEC elections, or remain even generally informed of what their bargaining agent is doing on their behalf.

ATL, a base with 3900+ pilots had roughly 50 pilots at the LEC meeting last week. DPA claims that they have roughly 1800+ ATL "members" as of October 27th- (Ref: Delta Pilots Association - Member Stats). Where were all those guys?

All 4 ATL reps voted for the recall, in fact they were the ones that muscled it through with the roll call vote, arguably. Although there was some questioning of the reps as to why they acted the way they did, I didn't see 1800+ angry pilots demanding a change.

I look forward to having guys like JungleBus on the property, as I have a feeling he will probably show up to meetings and vote. The more guys like that, whether they agree with me or not, the better off we all are.

boog123

Yeah, No kidding. Perfect example of what is the problem.