This is from the Delta MEC in response to the NWA MEC.
"When your only tool is a hammer, all of your
problems start to look like nails.
The Northwest MEC Leadership seems to
know only one way of doing business—fight.
Unfortunately, that tactic may not only be
unnecessary, but in the long term may foster
the hostility they themselves warn could doom
the prospects of the merged corporation.
As you will soon read, even if there is no
villain, they seem bound and determined to
find one.
We continue to be disappointed by the
Northwest MEC’s decision to play fast and
loose with the truth. It serves no purpose
other than to pander to the Northwest pilots
and to drive a wedge between our two pilot
groups as we attempt to resume negotiations
toward a joint contract.
Congressional interest in the proposed merger
between Delta and Northwest was front and
center this past week as both MEC chairmen
testified before the U.S. House of
Representatives’ Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure,
Subcommittee on Aviation. This was the last
of four congressional hearings on the matter
and the first to receive direct testimony from
the two master chairmen.
It didn’t take long for the Northwest MEC
administration to start tilting at windmills in
an effort to find their imaginary villain. The
latest effort was published in an NWA MEC
Hotline dated Thursday, May 15, 2008—the
day after the hearing.
Here is what was reported to the Northwest
pilots:
“In all communications over the past week we
had requested the presence of Northwest pilots
at this hearing as a symbol of opposition to
this merger. However, DAL management
hired as many as 50 linestanders, restricting
the number of positions for Northwest pilots. It
is unfortunate that, in a hearing regarding two
ALPA carriers, the financial ability of Delta
Air Lines can allow funds to block our full
participation at an event that discusses the
impact of consolidation.”
“A half-truth is a whole lie.”
--Old Yiddish Proverb
So enough of the half-truths; now (in our best
Paul Harvey voice), “the rest of the story.”
Hearings on “The Hill” can be a hot ticket.
The hearing rooms are small, seating limited,
and the number of organizations with “skin in
the game” numerous. Throw in witnesses and
their supporting attorneys and staff, high-
powered lobbyists, people like us “in the
crosshairs,” and what you can have is a
colossal food-fight for seats. Who gets in is
tightly—and we mean very tightly—controlled
by the Sergeant-at-Arms, a person who has
Veritas is published by the Delta MEC Communications Committee
ultimate authority over who enters and who is
turned away. In order to secure one of the
limited seats available after witnesses and
staff are accommodated, it is a very common
practice to hire “linestanders,” locals who will
hold a spot in line, often starting the evening
before.
Delta hired approximately 50 linestanders for
this event who did in fact come the evening
before. But here’s the irony of the Northwest
MEC Hotline and the part they conveniently
left out:
The linestanders were not hired to keep
Northwest pilots out—but to ensure that they
got IN!!
Let us explain.
Each witness is typically allowed two guests
to accompany him into the room. Northwest
MEC Chairman Dave Stevens elected to have
two pilot members of his Communications
Committee accompany him. All other
Northwest pilots were subject to the “first-
come, first serve” process. The Northwest
MEC did encourage their pilots to attend the
hearing, but apparently didn’t have enough
experience with Capitol Hill to understand
that you don’t just show up mid-morning on
the day of the hearing and expect to waltz
right into the hearing room. That explains
the surprise on the faces of many Northwest
pilots when they strolled into the Rayburn
House Office Building only to find themselves
at the end of a very long line of people ahead
of them—Delta pilots, other Delta employees,
a large number of Northwest employees from
various departments, IAM supporters, AFA
supporters and many others whose affiliation
was not apparent.
As the crowd gathered outside the hearing
room, Delta MEC volunteers and Delta’s
Government Affairs people worked diligently
together to ensure that there was a mix of
Delta and Northwest uniforms in the line,
with the goal being—and this was stated
clearly to all in earshot—that there would be
the same number of Northwest and Delta pilot
uniforms in the room. Some got in. Some did
not. Several Delta pilots did not get in initially
because they volunteered to give up their
place in line so that Northwest pilots could get
in. Many employees of both airlines watched
the initial portion of the hearing from an
overflow room, but by the time the two master
chairmen testified (the third panel of a four
panel hearing), all Northwest and Delta pilots
in attendance were able to be accomodated in
the hearing room. Any claim to the contrary
is fiction.
Oddly, the author of the Hotline accusing
manipulation of the process not only did get
in, but was a witness to the entire process.
Did he not notice the Northwest pilots being
moved into line with Delta pilots? Did he not
do a uniform count in the room? Did he not
notice the wall of NWA pilot uniforms on the
back wall? Here’s a Hotline update: The only
reason many Northwest pilots were allowed in
the room at the beginning of the hearing was
because of the foresight of Delta’s Government
Affairs office to employ linestanders and the
cooperative efforts of the Delta MEC to ensure
an equitable presence.
“A half-truth is the most
cowardly of lies”
--Author unknown
By painting a picture of conflict that does not
exist, the Northwest MEC leadership is doing
an enormous disservice to the pilots they
represent and putting those pilots’ futures in
jeopardy. Make no mistake about this fact—
the success of the merged corporation depends
largely on cooperation between the employee
groups. Sowing discord for political gain is the
lowest form of leadership.
Veritas is published by the Delta MEC Communications Committee"
