Comair MEC burning bridges with Delta?

[Freight Dog]

Actually, ASA and CMR had an identical policy regarding hiring furloughees. ASA changed theirs, while CMR kept theirs.

I think it's so ironic that we are a separate company whenever it might benefit Comair pilots, but we are all one big happy family whenever it might benefit Delta pilots.

The reason ASA hires Delta furloughees is because that has always been their policy. Comair has always had the policy that they must resign first. Nothing has changed, except that the Delta pilots are all upset about this.

Well, when we wanted to discuss a PID with you guys, you wouldn't even talk to us. At least we were willing to meet with your MEC, and still are. I think we took the high road on this deal.

 

[surplus1]

Please, no more comments from our "friends" at comair. This is a done deal. You don't want us and we surly don't want you.

You know that may be one of the more accurate posts you've made, but you still got it sort of backwards. Are you implying that you "wanted us" before this happened? That's laughable.

How about this. 1) It was not possible for the Comair MEC to burn any bridges, the Delta MEC tore them all down many months ago. 2) With "friends" like we have in the Delta MEC, who needs enemies? 3) It's not a done deal, there is just no deal. 4) You have never wanted us and you've made that more than clear. Why do you suddenly expect us to want you?

This tempest in a tea pot, may well be the third time that the Delta MEC has tried to use a Comair MEC decision to further its own political agenda. DMEC did it when we rejected your alleged offer of a flow-through. An offer on which you could not deliver then, wasn't really a bonafide offer at all and one that you had no authority to make (that authority comes from the Company, not the DMEC). In other words, a bogus "offer". DMEC did it again when you announced, after the PID filing, that we were demanding DOH and trying to "steal your seniority". Your DMEC used that ploy to incite Delta pilots and create animosity towards Comair pilots, who never asked for or expected DOH. Now you come with an alleged "offer of preferential hiring". An offer that you can't back up, have no real authority to make (that comes from the Company too) and no ability to honor.

As Afellowaviator points out, it is a transparent political ploy. The DMEC has been ineffective in protecting the jobs of Delta pilots, ineffective in preventing furloughs, ineffective in enforcing Scope and ineffective in getting furloughed pilots recalled. What better way to change the focus of Delta pilots from the ineffective MEC policys than to find the handy Comair scapegoat once more and blame the Comair MEC for your plight. That's exactly what you did. Now you can justify being "angered" and make threats against Comair pilots, while continuing to stew in the mess you have created for yourselves.

So our MEC isn't falling on its face and scrambling to accept a bogus offer on which you can't deliver anyway. Thank the Lord it didn't. On top of that your MEC Chairman has the nerve to tell us that his bogus preferential offer is preferential only after his buddies that don't work for either company get the more preferential, preferential hiring and, if we don't agree to what he wants, then he's going to "go public". Wow! Our MEC should really tremble in its boots at that threat. What, it didn't? Great!

Both the DMEC and the ALPA have declared that we are a separate airline. Guess what, there are lots of other "separate airlines" out there that are hiring pilots. How come you don't offer them preferential hiring and get them to hire you while you retain your seniority at DAL? Maybe they won't be smart enough to figure out that you really have nothing to offer them in return. The DMEC does not control the hiring process at Delta Air Lines now and you won't in the future. Like a whole lot of other things, you just think you do.

Face it, your MEC just picked the wrong place to attempt to throw its weight around. I have no doubt whatever that your Chairman knew that well before any meeting took place. Thus the ploy was made for political reasons and nothing more.

As for the propaganda that the ASA MEC "gave you" preferential hiring, that's BS too. ASA management decided to hire furloughed Delta pilots on its own. The ASA MEC was smart enough to jump on the political bandwagon that was handed them by their management. No more, no less. Good for them but it sure didn't happen because of anything they did to make it happen.

Comair management has decided not to hire furloughed pilots who refuse to relinquish their seniority at another airline. There is no reason whatever why the Comair MEC should go to battle with Comair management to secure a benefit for an MEC that has repeatedly proven it is quite willing to act against the best interests of Comair pilots.

Is it sad that things are this way? You bet it is. The line pilots at Delta didn't cause this mess. As our MEC told your MEC, the door is open. Come back when you have something to say. Meanwile, BRAVO to the Comair MEC!

 

[rjcap]

As for the propaganda that the ASA MEC "gave you" preferential hiring, that's BS too. ASA management decided to hire furloughed Delta pilots on its own. The ASA MEC was smart enough to jump on the political bandwagon that was handed them by their management. No more, no less. Good for them but it sure didn't happen because of anything they did to make it happen.

Thankyou for reiterating this.

There was never any ASA MEC or Delta MEC involvement in this decision. It was a management decision that was initiated to rehire some ex-ASA pilots who happened to go to the last 3 or 4 new hire classes at Delta.

It was done as a personal favor. Period.

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

SURPLUS1,

Good post.!

 

[sleepy]

Thankyou for reiterating this.

There was never any ASA MEC or Delta MEC involvement in this decision. It was a management decision that was initiated to rehire some ex-ASA pilots who happened to go to the last 3 or 4 new hire classes at Delta.

It was done as a personal favor. Period.

The ASA MEC was consulted before the decision was made to hire DAL furloughs was made. Our MEC President told Skip that it was the right thing to do. I do not know if we would be hiring DAL furloughs if the ASA MEC had been opposed to it.

Glad our MEC made the right decision.

 

[General Lee]

Surplus1 and AFellowaviator,

Once again, let me get this straight---it was the Delta MEC's fault that we have furloughed pilots. Hmmmm. What? We had a No furlough clause that was pretty tight, but it didn't say anything about the twin towers coming down and scaring people into not flying. It was something huge that affected everyone, and unfortunately it allowed the company to furlough some pilots through arbitration. Well, now we are back in arbitration and we meet again on Jan 31st with the arbitrator. He stated last year that the only reason he was allowing the furloughs to contine was becasue back then people were still scared to fly. Well, it has been awhile since then and everyone now knows that people are not scared to fly, but rather scared to buy expensive money making tickets. And, as I have stated here in the past, our No Furlough clause states that regardless of the economy, price of fuel, or the UNPROFITABILITY of the company---No furloughs. So, hopefully he will finally see that and stop the furloughs and start a slow recall. Anyways-----how did the MEC fail with that one? Did you see 9-11 coming? He now wants to help out his fellow pilots by getting them temporary work, at places that are benefiting from our problems. ASA doesn't have a problem with allowing our pilots to fly for them, and now they have some sort of preferential hiring when things eventually turn around, even if it is 3-4 years from now. Fred Butrell said that Comair's MEC obviously has some influence with their management. Well, he is also ensuring that his own pilot group will probably not get hired at Delta when things turn around. I keep saying that Lawson could never see himself as an MD88 FO for Delta. He doesn't want that, and that is dangerous for everyone who might. He is thinking about the needs of himself and the top 100 guys over there, without considering the bottom 1500. A furloughed Delta pilots would not affect anyone at Comair---because they would go to the bottom. No one is getting bumped anywhere. And, you are hiring 40-50 a month. What a joke. And to top it off, we helped you when you needed it with checks and support---and you can't help our people when they need it. Onluy guys like Sleepy and Metro Sherrif get it. I hope to see them over here someday. It really is a great airline to fly for, and I know that because I was a regional pilot, too.

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Lumber Yak]

Quote from Surplus1: "So our MEC isn't falling on its face and scrambling to accept a bogus offer on which you can't deliver anyway. Thank the Lord it didn't. "

THANK THE LORD IT DIDN'T.... Yeah, thank the Lord Delta pilots won't have to fly with you some day. I wonder if you will have the same attitude when ASA pilots are flooding into Delta to fly 737-800s and MD-88s as FOs (maybe 3-4 years out) and you guys at Comair are flying the Saginaw shuttle again... You can thank the grey-haired MEC leaders for that.

You JUST DON'T GET IT. If you want to fly for Delta someday, then do what you can to show your support - just like Delta pilots did while you were losing your strike.... They supported you monetarily (do you remember that? huh? are you ungrateful?) - and now you are screwing the furloughees - some of whom are Comair alums (like Fanman)... I suppose you should learn from Cher who said it best, "If I could turn back time..." Big mistake.

 

[General Lee]

Lumber yak,

Well, your remarks were definitely to the point, and strong in nature. You are right that the Comair pilots need to do something to right this wrong or may regret it someday. They are lead by a leader that doesn't want to be a Delta pilot and is satisfied by his current job. That normally is ok----a lot of people do not want to go to the Majors. But, at the same time he is not helping people who helped him and his group when they needed it. There is no getting around that. I know most Comair pilots are nice people who may not have had a vote in this at all. Well, I think they better say something soon, because they might be affected by this eventually. The ASA MEC didn't let his feelings about RJDC or personal feelings toward the Delta MEC get in the way when it came to the Delta Furloughs---who needed help. Sure, they only hired 13 pilots----that isn't a lot. But, that is better than NONE------and the 13 pilots I am sure are happy to have the job. There is a good bet that there will be more than 13 ASA pilots hired at Delta after all this is done. Thanks for your entusiasm YAK.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[sleepy]

I say good for the Comair MEC. That will mean less competition for ASA pilots when DAL starts hiring again.

ASA will hire again before DAL begins to recall pilots, and hopefully we will hire even more furloughed pilots.

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

GENLEE AND LUMBERYAK,


ASA pilots will flood Delta new hire classes??? Plaeeeze. Go some where else and spew this stupidity. Sounds like you guys would make great Jerry Springer guest.

Oh well, us little ol Comair pilots aint never gonna get hired at Delta, wha, wha, wha. You know, you guys are absoluely right. How dare our MEC go to that meeting with the Comair pilots concerns!! Don't they know it is all about the Delta pilots??? They should be hung out to dry. Give me a freakin break........

I swear, you just want to argue or are plane stupid.