Looks Like Leo Is Leaving ATL

[asacap]

General Lee,

Thank you for posting that article. I did enjoy it. I agree 100%. There is no question that management has taken advantage of this situation and exploited it. I still think there are many things yet to be fixed though. Anyway, as far as Mesa, Skywest, and Chitaqua are concerned, they can fly for free for all I care. I will not reduce myself like they have. If DAL wants to farm out the flying, then so be it. They can shut us down, but one thing is for sure, I and many others will go down swinging. Damage can be done to both sides if they want this to get ugly.

 

[Tim47SIP]

To the Gen!

I also thought you went overboard a little with this statement:

"You guessed it, but since the pilots never gave a penny to help out the company, Leo stated the same response that the Delta MEC offered the company, "a contract is a contract".

Gen, I do apologize if I sounded condescending. But if you re-read your original statement concerning how your pilot group actually paid for the 5% increase for all of the other employees, you should understand why I wrote the above statement. Now that we both know that was not the case, it's a non issue. I do understand the Delta mainline pilots frustration concerning these issues, but they are so quick to jump to conclusions (don't we all) without a real understanding of the real situation. Sometimes I feel that there is a whole lot of strife between management and labor for no reason at all. Many times we cause our own problems just by simply building a wall that no one can get around. Your optomism is admirable and I only hope that you are correct, because we (ASA/Comair and DALPA) are really on the same team. All of us want Delta to be the best and the toughest. I truly believe that with "adequate" pay cuts from mainline and scheduling reconstruction, Delta will be able to get very close to making a profit. I have always stated and believe that pay should be comensurate with profits. In other words, have a competitive pay structure (which is a min pay) and when times are great, profit sharing, when times are dismal, back to min pay. Since Dalpa does not trust management to tell them when times are good or bad (I wouldn't either), Dalpa could have a financial comitee or a neutral source figure out the numbers.

Sorry, I am just rambling here. My point is that mainline is going to have to get to just above industry average with pay and work rules. If Dalpa really wants ASA/Comair to take a cut then fine, Dalpa want's us to give 10% (arbitrary number) of my $34.00 an hour to share the costs, then I guess I get $30.60. That equates a sallary of $30,600 reduced to $27,540(75 hours). Just think about that every time you state that everybody has to share the pain. Remember, we are already at or below the industry average, not 47% higher than the second highest paid in the industry and 60% + higher than the industry average.

Gen, this is not directed at you as I know you (or FDJ) are not a proponent of ASA/Comair taking pay cuts. I do appreciate your fresh veiws and upbeat synopsis of the situation. Keep up the good work. Tim.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

Tim,
Good post. I agree, General?

 

[FDJ2]

As far as the pension "crisis" and your worry about that, you have to remember that the pension shortfall is due to a combination of things---including a down stock market (which is rising again), and low interest rates---which are rising too. As those gain back to where they were, the shortfall gets smaller. The recently passed bill will help out becasue it will allow the stock market to gain and narrow the shortfall, resulting in less payments.

General, don't forget that fewer pilots will be retiring in the next couple of years. With fewer retirements, instead of 600+ early retirements, the pension fund will have an opportunity to bounce back. From the last LEC lounge show in ATL, apparently the NWA/CAL code share agreement is working out better than expected and that should lead to better than expected cash flow and growth. Of course having positive cash flow and $2.9B in the bank helps too.

 

[FDJ2]

General Lee,

You indicated that 2500 pilots have been cut? The most recent Air Inc. newsletter says 1060 total with no more expected.

PMFJI, but I believe that what the General was referring to was the reduction of active Delta pilots from approx. 10,100 on 9-11 to approx. 7,600 today. The loss of 2,500 pilot positions came from a combination of furloughs and retirements. Currently DAL has, I believe, 1,220 furloughs. With the scheduled recalls this December that number will drop to 1,060.

 

[General Lee]

Pipejockey,

FDJ2 is correct. I believe we had around 10,200 pilots pre-911, and now we are close to 7,600----with 1220 current furloughs, which will then turn to 1060 on DEC 1st. (after the final group of the 250 come back) Right after 9-11 the company had their financial wizards come up with a number of pilots that needed to be reduced from the 10,200 number to help "keep Delta a float" (???) and they came up with 1700 total pilots, which was then reduced to 1400. Well, we now have about 2500 less pilots due to retirements and furloughs---and they still want paycuts. Where do they come up with these numbers? We are short right now, with senior 767 Capts in LA and ATL losing their Xmas vacations (the company had the right to do that as long as they told them 1 month prior---via the contract), and the greenslips have been flowing, especially on the large equipment due to the 281 Capts retiring on Sept 1st. It is a mess, and that is why the furloughs should be called back in some sort of a recall.

TIM47SIP,

You are right, and I didn't mean to get so defensive. I really was told just that "the pilots paid the other employees with their 5% cut." Thanks for correcting me. As far as somebody neutral looking at the numbers, Dalpa does pay independant financial consultants to look over the books (opened for us by managment) and they know exactly how much we should give---along with others. I also don't advocate you guys getting paycuts---but I fear Delta will try as hard as they can to get some from you. I remember how it was---I had a small apartment, 1 small bed, 1 plastic Kmart chair, and a TV. I remember it all, and I know you guys deserve more. It will be interesting to see what Delta does.


ASACAP,

I am not trying to be overly optimistic with you---and I am concerned with what is going on. I just try to find as much info as possible and try to stay informed. I want to keep flying for a good company, and I enjoy what I do, so I am not willing to say no to paycuts. But, I don't want to be taken advantage of, and I trust that Dalpa has people looking into this. I hope it works out too. I think you guys will be just fine in the end, and I am sure you will enjoy that CR7 if you are not flying it already. I nonreved on one a couple weeks ago and I liked it. Also, thanks again for helping our furloughs. Take care.

Bye Bye--General Lee