DAL pilot

[Lumber Yak]

Afellowaviator,

All the Delta guys (selection committee, Chief Pilot, etc.) have to do is put the Comair pilots at the bottom of the continually-growing interview list. Back when hiring at Delta was hot, miliatary pilots seemed to supercede the regional/corporate pilots all of the time. Class mixes were weighted toward the military pilots by a large margin - you had a good chance if you had C-5 time.

So, spotting Comair on your resume MIGHT mean that you wait a lot longer for that initial interview - after the hundreds or thousands of F-16 and C-17 pilots get their interview slots.... With Delta's preference for military in the past, I never did see any lawsuits filed... Who knows how it will work out? I'd feel better if I were an ASA pilot, though...

 

[Freight Dog]

You know... not liking you personally, not liking your working background, not liking your attitude are not considered "discrimination" and they are not violation or any kind of labor law. In other words, if it's the chief pilot, line pilot and HR rep doing the interviews and hiring, HR rep may like you, chief pilot and line pilot don't, guess what.... you ain't getting hired, and there is abolutely NOTHING you can do about it unless you can prove that you weren't hired based on your age, sex, marital status, disability, etc. Take Delta to court over "unfair hiring" and all they'd have to say is... I didn't like him, I wasn't satisfied with his answers, etc, and your hundreds of "unfair labor practice lawsuits" would be thrown out in a single ruling.

Ask thousands of highly-qualified pilots who never even got a chance to get interviewed by UAL back during the high volume of hiring. Goes to show you, you may not even get a call for the interview, and absolutely nothing you can do about it.

What is so funny about all this is the Delta pilots on this and other boards have probably made it impossible for Delta NOT to hire a boat load of Comair applicants when they resume hiring.
You ever heard of labor laws? Discrimination laws?

I can see Leo now. "Uh, o k ...., not hire Comair pilots because the pilots don't want me to, and then hundreds of unfair labor law suits to follow? I don't think so. I know a lot of pilots who already have talked to lawyers, and they are having them track these post for future reference.

You guys crack me up

 

[100LL... Again!]

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All the Delta guys (selection committee, Chief Pilot, etc.) have to do is put the Comair pilots at the bottom of the continually-growing interview list. Back when hiring at Delta was hot, miliatary pilots seemed to supercede the regional/corporate pilots all of the time. Class mixes were weighted toward the military pilots by a large margin - you had a good chance if you had C-5 time.

So, spotting Comair on your resume MIGHT mean that you wait a lot longer for that initial interview - after the hundreds or thousands of F-16 and C-17 pilots get their interview slots.... With Delta's preference for military in the past, I never did see any lawsuits filed... Who knows how it will work out? I'd feel better if I were an ASA pilot, though...
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Question:

Given the viewpoints so often expressed by individuals on this board (that I am guessing work for Delta), why wouldn't it be reasonable to expect this to be the outcome even if none of this other stuff had occurred?

My impression of the mainline pilots is that they think regional pilots are 'scooter trash' and only to be hired when you can't get enough military pilots. I have not seen much to dispel this impression. It is not stated outwardly, as much as it is by subtle insinuation.

 

[FlyingSig]

My impression of the mainline pilots is that they think regional pilots are 'scooter trash' and only to be hired when you can't get enough military pilots. I have not seen much to dispel this impression. It is not stated outwardly, as much as it is by subtle insinuation.

I'm not sure which message board you read (other then the AMR thread) to get that impression. The vast majority of DAL pilots that post here have a civilian background.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Some of it comes from the ALPA board.

Again, it is not so much outwardly stated as it is implied.


BTW: The guys here who are saying that 'Delta pilots should never forget' the CMR MEC issue when it comes to hiring CMR pilots. They accuse the CMR MEC of using the DAL furloughees as bargaining chips.

Seems to me that they are using CMR pilots who did not support the decision as bargaining chips. "See what your MEC did? Now you'll never fly for Delta".

If - IF - that kind of attitude is prevalent, who'd want to?

 

[redsoxfan]

After seeing this tread grow and grow by the minute, it makes me feel worse that the Comair MEC didnt offer pref. hiring for the DAL furloughlees with open arms. But when they made that decision it was them, the few Comair MEC members, not all 1600 Comair Pilots. You can argue and say the"Comair MEC represents all Comair pilots" which they do when we vote on an issue or at least can speak our opinons prior to something IMPORTANT being decieded. When the decision was made by Comair MEC to not offer pref. hiring, there wasnt anything memtioned to the Comair Pilot group prior, no memo put out saying "we are meeting with DAL MEC about pref. hiring asking us to give our ideas and opinions about that subject". Most Comair pilots heard about this meeting after the fact, and for me I heard about it on this website. ASA MEC did the right thing, Comairs MEC so far hasnt, but to say to all the Comiar pilots that wanted the DAL furloughees to get hired at comair, you have no chance of going to DAL now, seems like a large stereotype put on the whole pilot group. I know it doesnt matter how many DAL furloughess would actually go to comair, more importanly its the thought that counts for the offer, but to stereotype a whole pilot group over an issue that so far only 13 DAL Furloughees have taken advantage over at ASA, how important is it. I guess when the Comair pilots get hired at NWA, AA, CAL, SWA, UPS, FEDEX, UAL?, JB and not DAL we will find out, even thou the vast majority of opions where not spoke at the 1st DAL -Comair MEC. Cant we just all get along, I thought Pilots where suppossed to be friends???

 

[Brother Francis]

If indeed the rank and file at CMR are in favor of preferential hiring of DL furloughs, perhaps a grassroots campaign would convince the MEC to reverse their position. Worth a try.

$0.02

 

[mulk]

Just my two cents!

Here's my opinion(two cents worth).
Don't expect me to retaliate or respond to anything posted after this because, I won't. I was browsing this forum mainly to offer some advice to new hires and once again I am appalled at what I read.
It's amazing how the haves always tell the have nots how they can't believe the have nots are satisfied to work for low wages( As if they have a CHOICE). I guess you all were never fortunate enough to fly for a company and make minimum wage. Or how do you say it, "I've paid my dues and won't go back to that pay level"! I read that here in this forum but, I guess unemployment must have ran out. Or maybe you're the ONE pilot that would quit your low paying flying job just to make a point about an issue you have absolutely NO control over! Tell that to your three kids and spouse. Oh honey, I quit my job today because I should be making more money and if I only make my current amount we can only pay our bills and feed our family and the mainline pilots (the goal of every pilot at one time or another until reality and timing overwhelm you) now are being forced back into our situation and think that I should make this statement so I get more money and they get their jobs back. Honey, what do you think?
And what's with the stereotyping? Let's hate and bash all COMAIR pilots because of a decision that was made by a few representatives from each respective pilot group. How many pilots were polled before that meeting? Just yesterday, I had a mainline Delta pilot question me about the COMAIR decision not to give preferential hiring to furloughed Delta pilots. He also said in the same breathe that we are the same company and don't need to be bickering amongst the pilot groups.....OK, well said!

I thought, "What's your solution? Merge the lists or not(didn't happen last time), hire them at the bottom of seniority and allow them to go back to mainline when recalled, or after recall allow for flow thru to mainline by seniority? There are a lot more ideas out there. Just some that I read. All have financial implications for management and more importantly for those pilots affected by the decision." Merging would put me on the street. But thats OK, I'm not used to the big pay check, RIGHT?

All I could honestly say was, " I agree, thanks for the ride. " I've been at Comair less that a year and don't know all the reasons for the decision. I am thankful to God that I have a flying job with a very stabil company during the worst of times. Believe me, I'm not happy that Delta has pilots on furlough. But, I mostly fear for my brothren still on active duty! I can deal with being out of work. Burying my comrades I dread! You see, I'm just another former military pilot trying to make it to the show, live the dream too! I hope all mainline pilots don't hate me because I chose to deal with the circumstances dealt to me at the present time. If that is the Delta pilot group stance, to never hire a COMAIR pilot, then the group has shut out a group of experienced former military and civilian pilots that COMAIR has been able to hire under the present economic conditions.
I could go on but I won't. I will spend the next few days enjoying the time with my kids. Then, I'll continue to deal with my present circumstances.
I hope I didn't ruffle anyones feathers! Good Luck! Have faith!Stop the Insanity!
"SEMPER FI"

 

[Muskycat]

Ok I've heard enough about scope and bla bla bla.
Has anyone taken the time to figure why Comair management doesn't buy a certificate and operated Dc-9s, 737, or Airbuses as a separate entity.
Can they do it? Sure they can, If they can't the only thing that would stop them is the comairs contract, and I don't know what it states. The Delta scope is strictly DIC. So if you comair guys want to be the next JetBlue a non DIC carrier. Talk to your management and get it going. Stop whining about how Delta scope is holding you back; Think beyond 50 and 70 seat jets. But if everybody at Comair thinks the only thing limiting their future is Dal scope, think again.
I'll take a wild guess and say that the Comair contract does not allow Comair company to start another carrier, as mentioned above. And if it doesn’t then sounds like your management is holding you back.
And if you think the above sounds outrageous, like it has never been done before. I've got news for you, it has. I'll give the answer tomorrow I want to see if anyone can guess what company it is. This carrier was started by a Comair like company that was a connection carrier. It took profits that it made from its main line agreement and started a DC-9 operation, a separate whole entity on its own. And no, the pilot’s list did not merge between the two; in fact the start up was non-union.
Since the start up of this airline, the company has been sold, and is still in business today. The company that bought the startup made a bad name for themselves after an unfortunate accident. So they needed a new name. Who is it?

 

[flx757]

Muskycat,

You have your facts a bit muddled. The "spin-off" airline operated B-737s. The DC-9 operator that had an accident merged with this B-737 operator and took their name. And the merged company is doing quite well for themselves these days.

I'd venture a guess that since Comair is owned by Delta Air Lines, the Comair "management" as you put it, is not really in a position to start a new carrier. I don't think the Comair contract is what is preventing a venture such as this. It's the fact that Comair is not an independent company.

In the example you cited, Mesaba Holdings wasn't owned by Northwest, and could take their earnings and do with it what they pleased. Such as creating a new company, AirTran Airways.

The situation with Comair and Delta Air Lines is entirely different.