NWA MEC Buffoons

[Jet Wash]

You NWA boys need to take what your MEC is saying with a grain of salt. Apparently these bumbling idiots are spreading a lot of half truths and lies to their pilot group and that is doing nothing, but generating a lot of bad blood between the Delta and NWA pilots. I guess war is the only way they know. Unfortunate.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Truth hurts.
But you have to give them credit. Only recently has the DAL MEC started to defend itself. I guess you could say that they were assuming that we would continue to keep quiet.

 

[jetflier]

You NWA boys need to take what your MEC is saying with a grain of salt. Apparently these bumbling idiots are spreading a lot of half truths and lies to their pilot group and that is doing nothing, but generating a lot of bad blood between the Delta and NWA pilots. I guess war is the only way they know. Unfortunate.

Can you please be a little more specific ? What the h#ll are you talking about ?

 

[DAL737FO]

Can you please be a little more specific ? What the h#ll are you talking about ?

I think he is talking about your last two "Just the facts" (which by the way has prompted the DAL MEC to waste time putting out a flyer called the Veritas), Your latest code a phone (I haven't listened to it and if you have the number I would love to have it and find out what's going on) and finally your MEC's testimony before congress.

 

[RedRum]

Don't take it personally

Apparently these bumbling idiots are spreading a lot of half truths and lies to their pilot group and that is doing nothing, but generating a lot of bad blood between the Delta and NWA pilots.

Question for you Jet. I watched the May 14th Congressional hearings. One of the big problems we have here at NWA is that NWA pilots were the SOLE group left out of the equity claim share money. That is a major bone of contention here at NWA. Do you believe this to be true or not? Lee Moak's testimony at the hearings indicated that fact is true, but was very optimistic that something would be worked out soon. All I am saying is that our MEC is not spreading lies. It is called posturing. We have no bedfellows in this negotiation like DALPA does. We are going it alone and it is a lot more difficult to make your points known when the CEO of your company doesn't have your back.

I guess war is the only way they know. Unfortunate.

I refer to my last comment about Doug Steenland. It's the corporate culture here at NWA. I look forward to enjoying a better culture at DAL should I get the opportunity to work there. Honestly.

There is no reason to take anything personally. It is apparent we don't want to go down the same road as US/AWA. The sooner we get this thing done the better. Oil just hit 129 a barrel!

ONE AIRLINE, ONE CONTRACT

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Amen. My understanding is that the equity stake will be negotiated in the joint PWA. Hope for 7% to keep the money the same. (Maybe a little less~ 6.5%)
What LOA 19 did was guarantee us some money if this thing drags on for years. IE our share of the stake. Notice that it is 3.5% and not 5% as it was with the joint PWA. There is a reason for this. Don't ya think?

 

[737 Pylt]

Can someone please post the number for the NWA MEC code a phone?
Thanks,

737

 

[Cobraair75drvr]

800-242-alpa

Can someone please post the number for the NWA MEC code a phone?
Thanks,

737

 

[737 Pylt]

Thanks Cobraair!

737

 

[JoeMerchant]

You NWA boys need to take what your MEC is saying with a grain of salt. Apparently these bumbling idiots are spreading a lot of half truths and lies to their pilot group and that is doing nothing, but generating a lot of bad blood between the Delta and NWA pilots. I guess war is the only way they know. Unfortunate.

....no different than what the DAL MEC did when ASA and CMR filed the PID....I guess you folks are getting a dose of your own medicine....

Once again the myth of ALPA being any type of "brotherhood" is showing itself for all to see.....

I wonder how much ALPA will raise our dues when DAL/NWA leave ALPA?

 

[Noserider76]

I'm for just letting the MECs do the posturing and arguing. We can give our reps our thoughts but when it comes down to it we're just the guys who fly the equipment with very little input on anything related to this merger, it seems.

 

[DrewBlows]

You NWA boys need to take what your MEC is saying with a grain of salt. Apparently these bumbling idiots are spreading a lot of half truths and lies to their pilot group and that is doing nothing, but generating a lot of bad blood between the Delta and NWA pilots. I guess war is the only way they know. Unfortunate.

Way to stay above the fray, Jet. It's so refreshing when someone adds something constructive to the conversation.uke:

 

[FDJ2]

Veritas-In defense of the Truth #2008-02​

"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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]NWA MEC Hotline [/FONT]dated Thursday, May 15, 2008—the day after the hearing.
Here is what was reported to the Northwest pilots: ​

"[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]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." [/FONT]

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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]can [/FONT]have is a colossal food-fight for seats. Who gets in is tightly—and we mean [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]very [/FONT]tightly—controlled by the Sergeant-at-Arms, a person who has 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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]very [/FONT]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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]MEC Hotline [/FONT]and the part they conveniently left out:

[FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]The linestanders were not hired to keep Northwest pilots out—but to ensure that they got IN!! [/FONT]​

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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]did [/FONT]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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]very [/FONT]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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]same number [/FONT]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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]both [/FONT]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), [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]all [/FONT]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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]did [/FONT]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 [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]Hotline [/FONT]update: The [FONT=Century Schoolbook,Century Schoolbook]only [/FONT]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.

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. "​

 

[clippyrip]

I'm with Noserider76 on this, we need to chill out and let our reps work this out. There is not much we can do and this web site only serves as a place to build unnecessary animosity.

Let's save the opinions until the dust has settled on the new contract. That will not be for a while.

 

[PuffDriver]

....no different than what the DAL MEC did when ASA and CMR filed the PID....I guess you folks are getting a dose of your own medicine....

Once again the myth of ALPA being any type of "brotherhood" is showing itself for all to see.....

I wonder how much ALPA will raise our dues when DAL/NWA leave ALPA?

Blah, blah, blather, blather. We'll send you the memo about scope. Sorry, I forgot you were still here. You may go now.