Furloughs at Delta and Northwest

[Bob_Sacamano]

Not until after the fact. I do recall there being quite a bit of discussion on the ALPA forum about that. But within just a few days, the company stated that any new-hire would have to resign their seniority numbers, so that pretty much ended the debate.

I don't recall any election margins. But that was just one issue. (Remember this was right after 9/11.) I think it might be a bit much to draw the conclusion that resigning a seniority number was the only thing the pilot group was endorsing or censuring the MEC for.

Was the membership aware of the actions taken on their behalf by the MEC? Did anyone object to the actions taken by the MEC? Once again didn’t the MEC get re-elected by a large margin? Sound like the membership approved of the actions of the MEC to me.

 

[Jmoney]

Luckily, I've always had an outside business interest, so I was fine. And I fly for a much more secure airline now. But it's nice that you're still making fun of the fact that some pilots were on assistance. Real classy.

Pay no attention to 737/General Lee..... They are one in the same. This freakshow has actually posted about 15000 times here in the vain hope that anyone gives a rats butt what he thinks. Definitely not a stable person.

The really funny part is that I know exactly who he really is, and exactly what he does for DAL.... Cat's out of the bag-idiot! Oh, BTW-how is that mentoring going these days, BM-hmmmm? Not too much business, I see.... Well, best of luck, pal-freaks like you need some sort of distraction to draw you away from here.

At any rate, 737/General's only mission in life is to run around threatening and berating anyone who does not buy his B.S. about Delta taking over the known universe and flying to Mars one day soon. You may note that whenever someone attacks the General, 737 jumps right in to defend him... A very weak good-cop, bad-cop sort of thing.... Plainly sad, truth be told.

-Just be glad you don't ever have to share a cockpit with this moron! I feel really sorry for anyone who has to fly around listening to this fool all day!

 

[tblosser]

I'm not suggesting anything of the sort. I AM suggesting that while our MEC was working with the DAL MEC to try and define the struck work, the Delta Chairman said F us, and that Delta would do whatever they wanted.

I don’t understand. Were we working to define struck work or were we telling y’all to pound sand? I am sure there was some harsh language used given the heated nature of the subject matter but insinuating that we were flying struck work is a bit much.

 

[tblosser]

Not until after the fact. I do recall there being quite a bit of discussion on the ALPA forum about that. But within just a few days, the company stated that any new-hire would have to resign their seniority numbers, so that pretty much ended the debate.


So Comair management went along with the Comair MEC on seniority resignation after the MEC made it know that hiring furloughed Delta pilots with out resignation would create an unsafe condition in the cockpit. If you doubt that this was the opinion of the MEC I will be happy to forward you a copy of Captain Lawson’s memo on the subject.

I don't recall any election margins. But that was just one issue. (Remember this was right after 9/11.) I think it might be a bit much to draw the conclusion that resigning a seniority number was the only thing the pilot group was endorsing or censuring the MEC for.

So the answer to my question about any opposition form the rank and file is no. Thanks.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

For the second time, I didn't insinuate Delta pilots were flying struck work. You're simply trying to put words in my mouth.

My example is to refute that the Delta group bent over backwards to support us during our strike. One moron even suggested that Delta pilots opened OUR strike center. The simple truth is that your MEC was trying to control the Comair group, without showing anywhere near the support of that almost every other major airline showed us.

I don’t understand. Were we working to define struck work or were we telling y’all to pound sand? I am sure there was some harsh language used given the heated nature of the subject matter but insinuating that we were flying struck work is a bit much.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

There was plenty of opposition. But I guess you're looking to impugn the entire Comair pilot group for not recalling the MEC over an issue that was out of our hands (i.e. a corporate decision), go right ahead.

So the answer to my question about any opposition form the rank and file is no. Thanks.

 

[tblosser]

For the second time, I didn't insinuate Delta pilots were flying struck work. You're simply trying to put words in my mouth.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to try and put words in your mouth I was just trying to understand what you were saying

My example is to refute that the Delta group bent over backwards to support us during our strike. One moron even suggested that Delta pilots opened OUR strike center. The simple truth is that your MEC was trying to control the Comair group, without showing anywhere near the support of that almost every other major airline showed us.

Could we have done more to help y’all? I am sure we could but we did do a lot during your strike, both at the MEC and individual pilot level. I am sure the egos on both sides got in the way of helping the individual pilots during a difficult time.

 

[tblosser]

There was plenty of opposition. But I guess you're looking to impugn the entire Comair pilot group for not recalling the MEC over an issue that was out of our hands (i.e. a corporate decision), go right ahead.

There may have been plenty of internal opposition but form the outside it sure did not look like it. This is why I asked if there was ever any effort, regardless of how futile the effort may have been, to oppose the MEC’s decision. I am not looking to cast the entire Comair pilot group as being in lock step agreement over this issue or any other. Nor would I have expected the rank and file to attempt to recall the MEC over this issue. However it is disingenuous for you to suggest that the opinion of the MEC had no impact on the final corporate decision.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

With any stressful situation, there's always more that could be done. But that should never take away from the genuinely nice things that were done by a lot of folks.

But as an example, there simply was a lot more financial support from almost every other airline than Delta. We kept track of it. Since American wasn't part of ALPA, they didn't pay an assessment. But we had something like eleven pages of names from contributors from American. And there were like eight pages of contributors from Northwest and United. We had UPS guys who would pick up extra trips and donate the pay from the entire trip to our fund. At the end of the strike, there was less than half a page of donations from Delta pilots.

And obviously nothing was required. But when you factor that in with the fact that your MEC chairman said "F U" when we tried to define struck work, and that we did get heckled by Delta pilots while our guys were walking on the picket lines, it's not too hard to understand why there were hard feelings.

Could we have done more to help y’all? I am sure we could but we did do a lot during your strike, both at the MEC and individual pilot level. I am sure the egos on both sides got in the way of helping the individual pilots during a difficult time.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

Oh, the MEC's letter may very well have impacted Comair's decision. But I'm 99% convinced that decision came down to the System Chief Pilot. I don't know if he's even still at Comair, but I recall Steve Briner saying he wouldn't hire anybody if they wouldn't resign their number. He mentioned training costs for a guy who was guaranteed to be a short-timer.

There may have been plenty of internal opposition but form the outside it sure did not look like it. This is why I asked if there was ever any effort, regardless of how futile the effort may have been, to oppose the MEC’s decision. I am not looking to cast the entire Comair pilot group as being in lock step agreement over this issue or any other. Nor would I have expected the rank and file to attempt to recall the MEC over this issue. However it is disingenuous for you to suggest that the opinion of the MEC had no impact on the final corporate decision.