Mesaba new hires
#6481
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Posts: 125
Good point. I wonder if Comair had something like that in their contract? Do you know if there is any truth to the idea that come March Delta will be making decisions regarding the regional partners? As in to merge or sale one or anything?
#6483
IMHO, there's no chance of it.
First of all, I'm 99% sure that announcement said they were going to reduce the fleets by 100 50-seaters, not specifically CRJ-200s. I can't find that announcemnt right now, so if someone has the time to look it up, please correct me if I'm wrong. Don't interchange the two terms. In this case, 50-seaters could (and probably will) include those 22 Freedom ERJs at CVG.
Secondly, I don't doubt that Delta would love to park a huge majority of the 200s, and only use the remaining ones for shorter flights to smaller stations. But, I don't think there's any possibility of Mesaba losing our 200s, at least in the reduction you're referring to, before 2011. The leases on those are too long for a return to be economically beneficial to Delta. They can only be reallocated, and I see no reason for them to move them to Comair (as the operating cost would go up, by comparison to Mesaba).
Also, with the current lease return timetable, we will have 86 planes (41 CRJ 900, 19 CRJ 200, and 26 SF-340) in December 2010. If we lose so many as to drop below 79 aircraft, the pilot contract becomes ammendable. Not to trivialize the possibility of an additional 70 furloughs, but we can only lose 7 more planes without some expensive consequences for Delta.
First of all, I'm 99% sure that announcement said they were going to reduce the fleets by 100 50-seaters, not specifically CRJ-200s. I can't find that announcemnt right now, so if someone has the time to look it up, please correct me if I'm wrong. Don't interchange the two terms. In this case, 50-seaters could (and probably will) include those 22 Freedom ERJs at CVG.
Secondly, I don't doubt that Delta would love to park a huge majority of the 200s, and only use the remaining ones for shorter flights to smaller stations. But, I don't think there's any possibility of Mesaba losing our 200s, at least in the reduction you're referring to, before 2011. The leases on those are too long for a return to be economically beneficial to Delta. They can only be reallocated, and I see no reason for them to move them to Comair (as the operating cost would go up, by comparison to Mesaba).
Also, with the current lease return timetable, we will have 86 planes (41 CRJ 900, 19 CRJ 200, and 26 SF-340) in December 2010. If we lose so many as to drop below 79 aircraft, the pilot contract becomes ammendable. Not to trivialize the possibility of an additional 70 furloughs, but we can only lose 7 more planes without some expensive consequences for Delta.
"If the Company’s fleet (consisting of all of the aircraft operated
by the Company in revenue service, including any aircraft that
are used or that could be used as a maintenance or operational
spare(s) consists of 79 or more aircraft on December 1, 2010,
this Letter of Agreement will not be subject to amendment until
June 1, 2012. If the amendable date of this Letter of
Agreement is deferred in accordance with the terms of this
paragraph, this Letter of Agreement will continue in full force
and effect until June 1, 2012, and shall renew itself without
change until each succeeding June 1 thereafter, unless written
notice of intended change is served in accordance with Section
6, Title I of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, at least ninety
(90) days but not more than one hundred eighty (180) days
prior to June 1, 2012, or any June 1 thereafter."
That would be a huge cost for Delta. They're not going to give us the opportunity to get anything more contractually than what we have now. For example, right now our FO payrates are based on the 2004 rate when our fleet was primarily turboprops. Current payrates for "jet" airlines are reasonably higher, especially considering our work rules (100% cancellation pay, 150% pay for open time, minimum day, etc.). Management's favorite term in any negotiation seems to be "industry average", which for this example, works against them.
#6484
I don't know about March 2010 but I have heard that DAL will be making important decisions regarding DCIs flying for DAL in 2010. That seems plausible because DAL has been saying since 2008 that they have too many DCIs flying under their system and that they want to reduce the number of DCIs flying for them down from 9 to 3 or 4. Early part of 2010 is what I've heard. As far as merger or sale, I have not heard anything that can be substantiated, just business predictions by aviation analysts.
#6485
As far as mergers go, Comair's MEC has already taken additional money from the pilot group and set up a $1 Million merger fund. Basically, they've seen the writing on the wall for Comair, and they've been calling the Mesaba MEC asking for a merger, to be initiated by the pilot group. Our MEC has a merger fund of exactly $0, and isn't even entertaining the possibility. There are no benefits to a merger with Comair for us at all, especially considering the relative senority of the Comair pilot group. If we were to initiate merger talks, we would be bending over and taking it from Delta management. If there were any possibility of merger, which I seriously doubt, it would have to be initiated by Delta which gives us significantly more bargaining power in negotiating the terms of the merger and seniority list integration.
Like I said, I'm not wishing anything bad on the Comair pilot group. They're another ALPA carrier, and one of the few regional carriers who have had the nuts to stand up against management to get a good contract. But, sadly, I think it's too good. They're too senior, and therefore too expensive in this economy now that Delta has other options. Simply put, I think we'll take away some of their flying. If anything, we might keep more jobs, but our pilots might end up being shunned for a while, kind of like Republic is right now with the Midwest deal.
Last edited by gbntpilot; 11-19-2009 at 10:58 AM.
#6486
^^^^^ Excellent post.
I don't think Mesaba will be shunned the way RAH is. Mesaba was always the main regional for NWA and is a wholly owned just like Comair.
I agree Mesaba might be given some flying at the expense of Comair, but it's just the whipsaw technique that Daddy D has. The day will come when Mesaba fights to be more expensive and the flying gets shifted back to Comair. Only time will tell...
I don't think Mesaba will be shunned the way RAH is. Mesaba was always the main regional for NWA and is a wholly owned just like Comair.
I agree Mesaba might be given some flying at the expense of Comair, but it's just the whipsaw technique that Daddy D has. The day will come when Mesaba fights to be more expensive and the flying gets shifted back to Comair. Only time will tell...
#6487
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Posts: 787
^^^^^ Excellent post.
I don't think Mesaba will be shunned the way RAH is. Mesaba was always the main regional for NWA and is a wholly owned just like Comair.
I agree Mesaba might be given some flying at the expense of Comair, but it's just the whipsaw technique that Daddy D has. The day will come when Mesaba fights to be more expensive and the flying gets shifted back to Comair. Only time will tell...
I don't think Mesaba will be shunned the way RAH is. Mesaba was always the main regional for NWA and is a wholly owned just like Comair.
I agree Mesaba might be given some flying at the expense of Comair, but it's just the whipsaw technique that Daddy D has. The day will come when Mesaba fights to be more expensive and the flying gets shifted back to Comair. Only time will tell...
Both are the only DCI carriers that have solid flow-through language and similar labor costs...it wouldn't have near as many problems with differential seniority and pay as a Comair + anyone move...
#6488
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Position: FO
Posts: 3,044
^^^^^ Excellent post.
I don't think Mesaba will be shunned the way RAH is. Mesaba was always the main regional for NWA and is a wholly owned just like Comair.
I agree Mesaba might be given some flying at the expense of Comair, but it's just the whipsaw technique that Daddy D has. The day will come when Mesaba fights to be more expensive and the flying gets shifted back to Comair. Only time will tell...
I don't think Mesaba will be shunned the way RAH is. Mesaba was always the main regional for NWA and is a wholly owned just like Comair.
I agree Mesaba might be given some flying at the expense of Comair, but it's just the whipsaw technique that Daddy D has. The day will come when Mesaba fights to be more expensive and the flying gets shifted back to Comair. Only time will tell...
#6489
:-)
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,339
It seems like a logical move would be to combine Mesaba and Compass...but that's just IMHO..
Both are the only DCI carriers that have solid flow-through language and similar labor costs...it wouldn't have near as many problems with differential seniority and pay as a Comair + anyone move...
Both are the only DCI carriers that have solid flow-through language and similar labor costs...it wouldn't have near as many problems with differential seniority and pay as a Comair + anyone move...
If you ask me, I think we will see the status quo until several years from now, they may buy a turboprop in the short term. I don't see them canceling the republic contract unless they can get out of the fact republic can stick them with the aircraft lease balances, or they can wait three more years and DAL is free and clear of them.
As far as XJ goes. I was told by a manager that deals with saab aircraft leasing company directly, he said delta got rid of the saabs because senior management believes the saab does not represent a quality DAL product...whatever that means................
#6490
I don't see any reason at all to merge any of the wholly owned carriers seniority lists together. Everything else it seems is already merged or in the process of being so. Here's the reasons for not merging the seniority lists in my opinion. First off compass is as cheap as feasibly possible for an airline, I doubt there is a cheaper regional in history; It uses most of the resources that other airlines have and pay for. A comair merger would cause the most senior paid pilots to move to the 76 seat jets all making premium pay vs the relatively junior lists at mesaba and compass. Labor relations would tank in any type of SLI between any of the carriers increasing costs dramatically as crew productivity decreases with morale. Finally, and most importantly, it ends the whipsaw in lowering crew labor costs.
If you ask me, I think we will see the status quo until several years from now, they may buy a turboprop in the short term. I don't see them canceling the republic contract unless they can get out of the fact republic can stick them with the aircraft lease balances, or they can wait three more years and DAL is free and clear of them.
As far as XJ goes. I was told by a manager that deals with saab aircraft leasing company directly, he said delta got rid of the saabs because senior management believes the saab does not represent a quality DAL product...whatever that means................
If you ask me, I think we will see the status quo until several years from now, they may buy a turboprop in the short term. I don't see them canceling the republic contract unless they can get out of the fact republic can stick them with the aircraft lease balances, or they can wait three more years and DAL is free and clear of them.
As far as XJ goes. I was told by a manager that deals with saab aircraft leasing company directly, he said delta got rid of the saabs because senior management believes the saab does not represent a quality DAL product...whatever that means................
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